The National Healthy People Initiative:: History, Significance, and Embracing the 2030 Oral Health Objectives

Since 1979, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has worked with multiple subject matter experts and the public to develop and issue a set of ambitious, measurable objectives known as “Healthy People.” These objectives are aimed at improving the health of the nation issued at the start of each decade, and feature specific targets to be achieved at the end of the decade. The fifth iteration, Healthy People 2030, consists 358 measurable public health objectives associated with evidence-based interventions. Oral health is represented by 11 specific objectives aimed at reducing dental caries in children and adolescents, reducing untreated decay and periodontal disease in adults, and promoting evidence-based prevention strategies, including community water fluoridation, dental sealants, oral cancer screenings, and, most importantly, increasing access to dental services. In fact, access to the oral health care system for children, adolescents, and adults is identified as a Healthy People 2030 Leading Health Indicator – a high-priority Healthy People 2030 objective selected to drive action toward improving health and well-being – for the second straight decade. With the continued promotion of multidirectional integration of oral health and overall health across multiple disciplines, many – including policymakers, oral health professionals, other healthcare professionals, dental and public health organizations, and community advocates – have a role in affecting the outcome of the Healthy People 2030 oral health objectives.