The effect of social determinants on oral health knowledge and patient’s bill of rights

Background. Health knowledge is a requirement in healthcare and having a higher level of health knowledge helps to promote a satisfactory health status. Also, patients have specific rights within the healthcare system, but sometimes they are not aware of their rights. These issues are highly affected by social determinants. Objectives. The goal of this study was to assess the social determinants of oral health knowledge and the awareness of patient’s rights. Material and methods. This was a cross-sectional study conducted on patients referred to private offices and dental clinics in Tabriz, Iran. The study sample consisted of 500 patients and was selected by random sampling. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect data. Results. The highest number of the patients (31.9%) were 25–34 years old; 62.2% of the participants were female and 37.8% were male. Regarding religion, on a 1–10 scale, the majority of the respondents (26.6%) had scored themselves 8. As for oral health knowledge, 84.8% believed that reducing sugar consumption prevents tooth decay and 96.9% declared that stopping smoking is effective in reducing oral diseases. Regarding patients’ awareness of the right to access their medical records, only 40% stated that they have such right and 34.2% declared “I don’t know”, while 25.8% believed they have no right to access their medical records. Conclusions. Education level plays a critical role in improving the oral health knowledge level and awareness of patient’s rights. Educational programs by the mass media and healthcare centers can help patients achieve a higher level of oral health knowledge and awareness of their rights.