Our world is at a turning point with biological and social pathogens wreaking havoc at the same time that science and technology are exploding with new discoveries. It is a pivotal time for the new report Oral Health in America: Advances and Challenges to be released and a pivotal time for our profession to take action and lead. The art, science, and practice of dentistry is very different from 20 y ago when the original Surgeon General’s report was released. We are on the precipice of individualized health care where providers will collaborate to deliver diagnostics and therapeutics that are data driven and inclusive of the social determinants of health. To move forward with alacrity requires a strong scientific foundation, effective educational approaches, an understanding of the upstream determinants of health, and partnerships across the health professions and beyond. Oral health has never been more important, and now is the time for our profession to further develop, elevate, and translate the science into practice and policy to improve the nation’s health.

我们的世界正处于一个转折点，生物和社会病原体正在造成严重破坏，同时科学技术也随着新发现而爆炸式增长。现在是新报告《美国口腔健康：进展与挑战》的关键时刻即将发布，也是我们行业采取行动和领导的关键时刻。牙科的艺术、科学和实践与 20 年前最初的外科医生报告发布时有很大不同。我们正处于个性化医疗保健的边缘，提供者将合作提供数据驱动并包含健康社会决定因素的诊断和治疗。要快速前进，需要坚实的科学基础、有效的教育方法、对健康上游决定因素的理解以及卫生专业内外的合作伙伴关系。口腔健康从未如此重要，现在是我们专业进一步发展、提升科学并将其转化为实践和政策以改善国民健康的时候了。