Oral health in San Diego County reflects both progress and persistent inequity. On one hand, the region benefits from strong healthcare infrastructure, academic institutions, and a growing awareness of prevention-based strategies. On the other hand, untreated dental disease continues to disproportionately affect children from low-income families, unhoused individuals, and communities facing structural access barriers.
Tooth decay remains the most common chronic disease of childhood in the United States. According to the CDC, more than half of children ages 6-8 have experienced cavities in their primary teeth, and roughly 1 in 5 children aged 5-11 has at least one untreated cavity.
The California Department of Public Health has documented ongoing disparities in oral health outcomes among school-aged children. Children from low-income households are significantly less likely to receive dental sealants and more likely to experience untreated decay.
Communities facing transportation barriers, limited paid leave, insurance navigation challenges, language barriers, and provider shortages experience lower rates of preventive service utilization. CDC data shows that children without dental sealants have nearly three times more cavities than children with sealants.
The San Diego Oral Health Coalition has played an important role in advancing prevention and coordination across the region. Coalition priorities include increasing access to preventive dental services, expanding school-based dental sealant programs, and reducing untreated decay among children.
One of the strongest tools available to reduce oral health disparities is the school-based dental sealant program. The Community Preventive Services Task Force strongly recommends these programs. According to the CDC, sealants prevent up to 80% of cavities in molars during the first two years after placement.
San Diego County also faces the challenge of addressing oral health disparities among unhoused populations. Prevention-based outreach models that include fluoride varnish, Silver Diamine Fluoride, and mobile hygiene services can reduce disease burden and stabilize conditions before escalation.
The state of oral health in San Diego County is not defined by inevitability — it is defined by opportunity. The data supports prevention. The partnerships exist. The infrastructure can grow.