Association of Oral Health Literacy and Oral Health Knowledge with Risk Behaviors and Self-Rated Oral Health Among Chinese Dental Patients: A Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Study in Guangzhou

Background: This study investigated the associations of oral health literacy and oral health knowledge with oral health-related behaviors and self-rated oral health among Chinese dental patients attending a tertiary hospital in Guangzhou, China. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 323 adult dental patients from 1 December 2025 to 28 February 2026. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics, oral health literacy, oral health knowledge, risk behaviors, preventive oral-health practices, and self-rated oral health. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha analysis, Spearman’s rank correlation, multiple linear regression, and ordinal logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: Participants demonstrated relatively high levels of oral health literacy and oral health knowledge. Oral health literacy was positively correlated with oral health knowledge (ρ = 0.602, p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with risk behaviors (ρ = −0.238, p < 0.001). Ordinal logistic regression analysis demonstrated that higher risk behavior scores were significantly associated with lower odds of reporting better self-rated oral health (Estimate = −0.104, p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that age (β = 0.180, p = 0.001), oral health literacy (β = −0.355, p < 0.001), and oral health knowledge (β = 0.199, p = 0.002) were significantly associated with risk behavior scores. Higher risk behavior scores were independently associated with poorer self-rated oral health (β = −0.214, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Chinese dental patients demonstrated satisfactory levels of oral health literacy and oral health knowledge. Higher oral health literacy was associated with fewer oral health-related risk behaviors, while greater engagement in risk behaviors was associated with poorer self-rated oral health.