Oral health is an essential and integral component of health throughout
life. No one can be truly healthy unless he or she is free from the burden
of oral and craniofacial diseases and conditions. Millions of people in
the United States experience dental caries, periodontal diseases, and
cleft lip and cleft palate, resulting in needless pain and suffering;
difficulty in speaking, chewing, and swallowing; increased costs of care;
loss of self-esteem; decreased economic productivity through lost work and
school days; and, in extreme cases, death. Further, oral and pharyngeal
cancers, which primarily affect adults over age 55 years, result in
significant illnesses and disfigurement associated with treatment,
substantial cost, and more than 8,000 deaths annually.
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