Data Reports

Dental caries remains the most common chronic disease of childhood in the United States. Caries is a largely preventable condition, and fluoride has proven effectiveness in the prevention of caries. The goals of this clinical report are to clarify the use of available fluoride modalities for caries prevention in the primary care setting and to assist pediatricians in using fluoride to achieve maximum protection against dental caries while minimizing the likelihood of enamel fluorosis.

Read and download Fluoride Use in Caries Prevention in the Primary Care Setting.

This Oral Health Integration Implementation Guide, based on the Qualis Oral Health Delivery Framework, offers an action plan and tools to help primary care practices incorporate oral health into their delivery of whole-person care. Check out other tools and resources here.

The Oral Health and Well-Being in the United States fact sheet provides informative visuals of select results from a 2015 US household self-report survey on oral health status, attitudes and dental care utilization.

Lack of access to oral health care contributes to profound and enduring oral health disparities in the United States. Millions of Americans lack access to basic oral health care. The 2011 Institute of Medicine (IOM) reports, Advancing Oral Health in America and Improving Access for Oral Health for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations, recommended that the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) address the need for improved access to oral health care through the development of oral health core competencies for health care professionals. In response, HRSA developed the Integration of Oral Health and Primary Care Practice (IOHPCP) initiative. The IOHPCP report (2014) describes the structured approach, processes and outcomes addressed in the three components of the IOHPCP initiative.

A new white paper from the World Economic Forum, The Economic Rationale for a Global Commitment to Invest in Oral Health, addresses the negative impact of poor oral health across the globe and proposes innovative policy, investment and delivery solutions. This paper, written in partnership with the American Dental Association, Colgate-Palmolive Company, and Henry Schein, outlines the economic rationale for investing in oral health and presents concrete action pathways for public, private and civil society leaders for addressing the global epidemic of oral disease.

The 2021 white paper Veteran Oral Health: Expanding Access and Equity reviews gaps in access to oral health care for veterans and explore ways to address oral health disparities among veterans. This report from the CareQuest Institute and the American Institute of Dental Public Health (AIDPH) also identifies several strategic recommendations to improve access to and quality of care, including expanding eligibility criteria for veterans to receive oral health services, expanding the role of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and rural health clinics, and advancing medical-dental integration in veteran health care.