Policy integration of pediatric oral health: aligning medicine and dentistry for child well-being

Oral health remains a critical yet overlooked aspect of pediatric health, despite strong evidence linking untreated dental disease with systemic complications, impaired growth, and reduced quality of life. Globally, early childhood caries and related oral conditions affect 60%-90% of children, disproportionately impacting disadvantaged groups. However, pediatric oral health is often siloed from mainstream child health services. Pediatricians, frequently the first point of contact for families, have limited oral health training, while pediatric dentists often see children only when conditions have advanced, reducing opportunities for prevention and early care. Structural barriers-including fragmented professional education, poor referral systems, inadequate insurance, and inconsistent access to preventive services-further limit progress. Families face significant out-of-pocket costs, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where preventive oral care is excluded from many pediatric health packages. Caregiver health literacy and cultural beliefs also contribute to delayed care-seeking. A policy-level response is essential to bridge these gaps. Key strategies include integrating oral health into routine pediatric visits, advancing interprofessional education, expanding insurance coverage for preventive services, and adopting innovative care models such as telehealth and task-shifting. Embedding pediatric oral health into universal health coverage and child health policies will promote equity and sustainability. Urgent systemic reforms are needed to position pediatric oral health as a core component of child well-being, requiring coordinated action among pediatricians, pediatric dentists, and public health policymakers.