Oral Health and the U.S. National Interest

In 2025, Florida stopped adding fluoride to its water. In rural Alaska, a child may need a flight to see a dentist. In Massachusetts, a $1,750 cap now decides who keeps periodontal care. Oral health, often treated as a private matter, is shaping public budgets, workforce readiness and the reach of federal programs across the United States.

Oral Health and the U.S. National Interest examines ten of these pressure points in six states: Florida, New York, Texas, Virginia, Massachusetts and Alaska. Each chapter starts from a concrete policy problem, from the end of community water fluoridation and opioid prescribing for dental pain to rural workforce shortages, diabetes on the Texas–Mexico border and orthodontic care where broadband cannot reach. Each one weighs the latest evidence and proposes a practical response that other states can adopt.

Written for policymakers, public health leaders, clinicians and students, this book connects decisions made in the dental chair to Medicaid spending, emergency room visits and the well-being of entire communities. It makes a clear case that a healthy mouth is not a luxury but a matter of national interest