[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 145 (Friday, July 27, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 35664]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-16096]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Notice To Announce Commission of a Surgeon General's Report on 
Oral Health

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: On behalf of the United States Department of Health and Human 
Services, the Office of the Surgeon General, the National Institutes of 
Health, and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, 
the U.S. Public Health Service's Oral Health Coordinating Committee 
announces the commission of a Surgeon General's Report presenting 
prominent issues affecting oral health. The report will document 
progress in oral health in the twenty years since the 2000 Surgeon 
General's Report on Oral Health, identify existing knowledge gaps, and 
articulate a vision for the future.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bruce A. Dye, DDS, MPH, Dental 
Epidemiology Officer, Office of Science Policy and Analysis, NIDCR, 
NIH, 31 Center Drive, Room 5B55, Rockville, MD, 20892. Phone: 301-496-
7765, Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Scope of Problem: The charge for the first Surgeon General's report 
on oral health in 2000 was to define, describe, and evaluate the 
interaction between oral health and health and well-being (quality of 
life), through the lifespan in the context of changes in society. The 
overarching message from that report clearly communicated that oral 
health is essential to the general health and well-being of all 
Americans and can be achieved by all. In the intervening two decades, 
oral health has improved for many Americans, but not for all. Many 
Americans are retaining more of their natural teeth, complete tooth 
loss among older adults is at the lowest level ever measured, and many 
younger children have less untreated tooth decay. Over the past two 
decades, we have learned more about how changes across the lifespan can 
substantially influence oral health and how health promotion activities 
and interventions targeted for specific life stages can benefit oral 
health and quality of life. However, many Americans continue to 
experience unnecessary pain and complications from poor oral health 
that adversely affect their well-being, adding substantial economic and 
social costs. Poor oral health also impacts our nation's ability to 
recruit young adults for military service and maintain military 
readiness.
    Oral health workforce models and care delivery systems have evolved 
in the past two decades. There has been a substantial effort to 
incorporate early detection and preventive oral health measures into 
primary care settings and the expansion of the State Children's Health 
Insurance Program, Medicaid, and other health insurance programs have 
helped many Americans of all ages. Yet, as there have been some 
successes in integrating oral health into the broader health care 
system in the United States, many still view oral health care as a 
supplemental benefit, and not a priority benefit. This separate view of 
oral health negatively impacts our nation in a variety of ways. 
including the increasing use of emergency departments at substantial 
cost to treat dental pain and related conditions. Finally, the 
increasing problems of substance misuse and use disorders during the 
past two decades have impacted oral health at the patient, community, 
and provider level, which has raised awareness of the need to address 
dental provider prescribing patterns and pain management practices.
    The first Surgeon General's report on oral health addressed 
determinants for oral health and disease. Twenty years later, the 
knowledge gained from science and technology has continued to provide a 
better understanding of the etiology and natural history of oral and 
craniofacial diseases and conditions, and we have gained a better 
understanding of these determinants. This knowledge has led to 
therapeutic interventions that have improved oral health over the past 
two decades. Ongoing research is improving our understanding of the 
biological influences on oral health, the relationship between oral 
diseases and general health, the role of technology and advanced 
materials in improving dental care, and the benefits of good oral 
health to overall well-being and the community. Although we benefit 
from numerous advances that influence oral health, we still face 
challenges as we try to reach our goal of oral health for all.
    Approach: The scope of the Surgeon General's Report is intended to 
be broad and comprehensive, with the goal of mapping the current 
landscape of the key issues that affect oral health. It will present 
information from a variety of data sources such as the National Health 
and Nutrition Examination Survey, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, and others. These sources 
highlight changes in oral health over time, providing opportunities to 
monitor how determinants for health have changed, and the effect of 
those changes over the past 20 years. The report is intended to: (1) 
Underscore the critical nature of poor oral health as a public health 
issue; (2) provide a comprehensive review of the importance of oral 
health throughout life; (3) describe important contemporary issues 
affecting oral health and the promise of science to transform the oral 
health of the nation; (4) outline a vision for future directions; and 
(5) educate, encourage, and call upon all Americans to take action.
    Potential Areas of Focus: Areas of focus in the report may include 
a description of the epidemiology of diseases and conditions that 
affect the craniofacial complex; a review of health promotion and 
disease prevention activities; factors that affect the etiology of poor 
oral health at the individual and population level; social determinants 
of health and their influence on oral health disparities; biological 
factors including the microbiome; social, economic, and health 
consequences of poor oral health; mental health, substance misuse and 
addiction impact on the oral health of individuals, providers, and 
communities; the state of oral health care access and coverage as it 
relates to prevention and treatment for dental diseases and related 
conditions; integration of oral health into primary health care 
settings; organization and financing of the provision of dental care 
within the health care system; ethical, legal, and policy issues; and 
the application of scientific research in the field, including methods, 
challenges, and current and future directions.

    Dated: July 21, 2018.
Lawrence A. Tabak,
Deputy Director, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2018-16096 Filed 7-26-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4140-01-P