For the first time in 20 years, the U.S. surgeon general has published a report on oral health in America. During a global pandemic with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), there is a renewed interest in the idea that the mouth is the gateway to the rest of the body and inextricably linked to overall health and well-being. This report sheds new light on how people in the United States experience oral health differently, based on their age, economic status and a number of other social factors, including race and availability to care due to rural environments. The report highlights that oral health care has not been, and is not, equally available across America, particularly for children.
Specifically, dental caries have been reduced in the past 20 years, but not all children have benefitted the same. About half of all U.S. children do not receive regular dental care because of social, economic and geographic obstacles, which have worsened during the pandemic. However, integrating dental care within family and pediatric care settings is improving children’s oral health. As tooth decay concerns lessen, other conditions should also be addressed, such as dental erosion, which is increasing among youth.
Public policies and improved education are needed to reduce oral health inequities. By encouraging providers to focus more on individual and public health approaches for prevention of new disease and managing disease earlier, children will have better oral health outcomes.
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