In 1991, the Division of Oral Health (DOH) was established by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help prevent oral disease and conditions. The DOH provides leadership to improve the nation’s oral health, and promotes proven interventions, such as community water fluoridation and dental sealants, to reduce the rate of cavities, especially for people at highest risk.

In the United States, more than half of children and adolescents aged 12–19 (57%) and almost all adults 20 or older (90% or more as age increases) have had cavities in their permanent teeth.