HRSA offers oral health resources to help you add oral health to routine care, support patients with chronic conditions, and connect patients to low-cost dental care.
Below, you'll find oral health resources organized by audience and topic, along with practical ways to use them in your work.
Start with resources created for health care professionals. Then explore patient resources you can share during visits to help patients learn about and improve their oral health.
On this page
- Resources for health care professionals
- Health information for your patients
- Outreach materials
- Research reports and recommendations
Resources for health care professionals
The Link Between Oral Health and Chronic Diseases
Access the resource: The Link Between Oral Health and Chronic Diseases
This resource explains how oral health is connected to chronic conditions commonly managed in primary care and other health care settings.
You can use it to:
- Learn about the links between oral disease and conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic diseases to support whole-person care in your clinic.
- Identify ways to include oral health in routine chronic disease visits, such as adding oral health questions to intake forms, providing brief counseling, or creating reminders for referrals.
- Share information during team huddles, grand rounds, or staff meetings to help medical, dental, nursing, and care management teams use consistent messages and coordinated workflows.
How To Care for the Oral Health of Older Adults and Adults With Disabilities
Access the resource: How To Care for the Oral Health of Older Adults and Adults With Disabilities
This resource highlights the unique oral health needs of older adults and adults with disabilities, who often face barriers to preventive and restorative dental care.
You can use it to:
- Help your care team understand common oral health risks and challenges, such as taking multiple medicines, functional limitations, and transportation barriers.
- Plan conversations with patients and caregivers about daily oral hygiene, healthy eating, and regular dental visits, especially in home‑ and community-based care settings.
- Support staff training for geriatrics, disability services, home health, and long-term services and supports.
Empowering Patients: Why Oral Health Literacy Matters
Access the resource: Empowering Patients: Why Oral Health Literacy Matters (PPTX)
This resource is a slide deck that explains how oral health is connected to overall health. It is designed for health students, faculty, clinicians, training leads, and non-dental health professionals.
You can use it to:
- Teach key oral health literacy concepts and explain how oral disease affects overall health.
- Highlight ways primary care and community programs can support prevention and referrals.
- Support classes, graduate medical education sessions, staff meetings, in-service trainings, and partner briefings.
- Add local data, referral resources, and your practice or program workflows to the slides.
How to Find Low-cost Dental Care
Access the resource: How to Find Low-cost Dental Care
This resource helps connect patients with free or low‑cost oral health care in their communities.
You can use it to:
- Help patients find HRSA‑supported health centers and other safety-net health care professionals that may offer dental services on a sliding fee scale or at no cost.
- Add a link to after-visit summaries, patient portals, and care coordination workflows to help patients find oral health care services and take the next steps in their care.
Health Information for Your Patients
The HRSA Oral Health website includes resources you can share with patients and families. These resources explain oral health topics in plain language and can help patients learn more after a visit.
You can:
- Introduce the resources during visits and highlight key messages most relevant to the patient’s needs.
- Share or print the resources so patients can review them at home and take the next steps in their own care.
Oral Health for Adults
Access the resource: Oral Health for Adults
This resource helps adults learn everyday steps to keep their mouths healthy, including brushing, flossing, and getting regular dental visits. Printable handouts can support patient education during visits or through patient portals.
Oral Health for Young Children
Access the resource: Oral Health for Young Children
This resource helps parents and caregivers support a child’s oral health from an early age. Topics include caring for baby teeth, choosing healthy drinks and snacks, and scheduling a child’s first dental visit. Printable handouts can support conversations with parents and caregivers of infants and young children.
Oral Health for People With Dry Mouth
Access the resource: Oral Health for People With Dry Mouth
This resource explains what dry mouth is, how it can affect oral health, and steps patients can take to protect their teeth and gums. A take-home resource can reinforce information discussed during a visit or be shared with patients to use at home.
Oral Health for People With HIV
Access the resource: Oral Health for People With HIV
This resource explains oral health problems that may be more common in people with HIV and emphasizes the importance of regular dental care. Printable handouts can support patient education, counseling, and referrals in HIV care and support programs.
Oral Health and Nutrition
Access the resource: Oral Health and Nutrition
This resource explains how food and drinks affect oral health and offers simple tips to help prevent tooth decay. The resource can support conversations about healthy eating, chronic disease management, or preventive care.
Oral Health and Pregnancy
Access the resource: Oral Health and Pregnancy
This resource explains why oral health care is important before, during, and after pregnancy. It also explains why dental care is safe throughout pregnancy. The resource can support patient education during prenatal visits.
Outreach materials
Find outreach materials to use in your practice or community:
- Patient materials, like print‑ready flyers and posters, and public service announcement videos
- Drop‑in content for newsletters
- Social media images and posts
These materials can help reinforce oral health and chronic disease prevention messages outside of the clinical setting. Use them to support patient education, community outreach, and public awareness efforts.
Research reports and recommendations
Find oral health research reports and recommendations that support better oral health for all.