Improving health in the United States: Oral health is key to overall health.

The oral health-systemic connection has been well documented for many conditions, with strong evidence in 2017 connecting oral health and rheumatoid arthritis. 9 The results of this analysis indicated a strong correlation between dental visits and overall selfrated health, and this relationship is getting stronger over time. In other words, states in which adults are more likely to visit the dentist also tend to have the lowest proportion reporting fair or poor health. Yet, the lack of detailed nationaland state-level data means understanding the role of oral health in state-level health economics remains a challenge. The authors conclude that it will require a coordinated multisystem solution, and oral health is a key to improving the overall health of the nation.