Giving policy some teeth: routes to reducing disparities in oral health.

Despite improvements in oral health status and clear links between oral and systemic health, oral health is not accorded the same importance in health care policy as is general health. This review of oral health disparities over the life span documents the results of this inequity. Dental concerns and unmet dental treatment needs, especially among vulnerable populations, are not well addressed in oral health policies. We offer examples of discrepancies between policy and needs and examples of successful interventions that integrate oral health care with informed policy.