Oral health policy development since the Surgeon General's Report on Oral Health

Abstract

This assessment of the nature and impact of oral health policy development since issuance of the Surgeon General's Report on Oral Health (SGROH) in 2000 includes the following: an examination of the intent and content of the SGROH with respect to policy development; a general overview of ensuing oral health policy development in 3 principal domains: public policy, organizational policies, and professional policies; an assessment of indicators of the aggregate impact of oral health policy development after the SGROH and possible reasons for the somewhat limited progress; and a summary that includes conclusions and recommendations for advancing future oral health policy development. Evidence suggests that accomplishments in the area of oral health policy development have been modest but positive, but a significant amount of work remains to be done to address oral health disparities. Success is likely to be proportionate to the extent to which factors that have impeded substantial progress to date, including fragmentation of efforts and disparate priorities, can be effectively addressed.