New research from the University of Maryland School of Public Health showed that a majority of dentists and dental hygienists are not regularly using the recommended communication techniques with their patients that contribute to improved health literacy and prevention of oral disease. The study, led by Dr. Alice Horowitz, research associate professor in the department of behavioral and community health and Horowitz Center for Health Literacy, was published in the Journal of Dental Hygiene. Dr. Horowitz and colleagues surveyed 540 Maryland dental hygienists to determine the frequency of the use of 18 recommended communication techniques to effectively communicate science-based information to patients.