A happy family of four, including a mother, father, and two children, walking hand-in-hand outdoors in a park with lush green trees.

Why Oral Health

Oral health drives whole health

Line art illustration of three health-related icons connected to a central person figure: a heart with a heartbeat line, a tooth, and an apple, representing overall health and wellness.

Oral health and whole health are deeply connected, impacting everything from the ability to eat and speak, to academic success, job opportunities, and chronic disease prevention. Yet too many Texans still face barriers to care, challenges to preventative measures, and health systems that treat the mouth separately from the body, resulting in poor oral health and overall health outcomes. When everyone has the opportunity to achieve their best oral health, we see healthier, stronger communities.

An estimated 2 million Texans live in dental shortage areas.

Reference: Health Resources and Services Administration

Line drawing of a clinician with a stethoscope around their neck

Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease among children in the United States.

Reference: American Academy of Pediatrics

Line drawing of a human tooth with gums.

When oral disease goes untreated, working Texans and employers pay the price. 

Reference: CareQuest Institute

Outline of the state of Texas with a dollar sign inside a location marker above it.

Neglected dental issues often lead to emergency care and hospital admissions, adding avoidable costs to the health system and ultimately to communities.

Reference: Texas Health Institute

Document with a magnifying glass and dollar sign.

Untreated dental disease costs the United States $45 billion annually in lost productivity and 243 million work and school hours annually.

Reference: CareQuest Institute

Line drawing of a hospital building with a medical cross on top.

A Vision for Oral Health Equity: Community Perspectives

Advancing the Oral Health Movement in Texas