Despite being largely preventable, dental caries (tooth decay) and poor oral health are the most common chronic health conditions in children and adolescents in the U.S. today. Disparities in the prevalence of tooth decay have persisted for decades, with lower-income youth, Black/African Americans and Latinx minorities being especially at risk for dental caries. Although adolescence is an ideal time to implement healthy behavioral habits that will carry into adulthood, there are very few effective dental health programs for at-risk adolescents.

Investigators are developing a school-based oral health program to address this important public health problem. The program will be tested in schools Oregon, Michigan, & South Carolina.