The health of the mouth and surrounding craniofacial structures is integral to an individual's total health throughout his or her life. Oral and craniofacial diseases and conditions include dental caries, periodontal diseases, cleft lip and palate, oral and facial pain, and oral and pharyngeal cancers.

The improvement of America's oral health over the past 50 years is a public health success story: Most of the gains have resulted from application of effective prevention and control measures.¹ The burden of oral diseases falls hardest on those persons who have the least access to prevention and treatment. Access to care is associated with socioeconomic factors such as race and ethnicity, education level, and income.² Profound disparities exist in some oral disease levels and in receipt of care among various populations in the United States.

Meeting objectives in this focus area presents a range of public health challenges, which encompass increasing oral health awareness, improving overall quality of life, and decreasing oral health disparities. These objectives provide direction and tracking opportunities for implementing a National Call to Action to Promote Oral Health, an initiative of public-private organizations to promote oral health, prevent diseases, and reduce oral health disparities. The initiative emanates from Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General.^{1, 2}