Many factors influence whether a child will grow up healthy and achieve economic stability throughout their life. These include: family wealth and income; access to health care; parents’ educational attainment; children’s exposure to trauma; and the kinds of stressors versus supports parents or caregivers encounter. It is well known that oral health is an important component of a person’s overall health from birth through adulthood, and that it is connected to chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. But even beyond that, oral health can impact child and family success and well-being. This fact sheet highlights the opportunity for family-centered approaches to include oral health as a critical component to whole person health and well-being.

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