| National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research

Does NIDCR provide dental care?

No, NIDCR does not provide dental care or financial assistance for care. We are a research institution. Learn more about NIDCR.

Where can I find low-cost dental care?

Dental Schools & Dental Hygiene Schools

Dental schools often have clinics that allow dental students to gain experience treating patients while providing care at a reduced cost. Experienced, licensed dentists closely supervise the students.

Periodontal (Gum) Disease

Versión en español
Periodontal (gum) disease is an infection of the tissues that hold your teeth in place. It's typically caused by poor brushing and flossing habits that allow plaque—a sticky film of bacteria—to build up on the teeth and harden. In advanced stages, periodontal disease can lead to sore, bleeding gums; painful chewing problems; and even tooth loss.

TMJ Disorders

In-depth brochure covering causes, symptoms, and treatments for TMJ disorders.

Temas de salud

Working at NIH

Select from the links below for information about NIH and federal government opportunities:

Getting Started in Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research

Summer Internships
NIDCR Intramural Laboratories in Bethesda, MD accept high school, college, post-baccalaureate, medical and dental students for NIH summer internship programs and other opportunities. For more information, contact Dr. Belinda Hauser.

Oral Cancer

Versión en español
Oral cancer includes cancers of the mouth and the back of the throat. Oral cancers develop on the tongue, the tissue lining the mouth and gums, under the tongue, at the base of the tongue, and the area of the throat at the back of the mouth.

Oral cancer accounts for roughly three percent of all cancers diagnosed annually in the United States, or about 53,000 new cases each year.

Oral cancer most often occurs in people over the age of 40 and affects more than twice as many men as women. Most oral cancers are related to tobacco use, alcohol use (or both), or infection by the human papilloma virus (HPV).

Saliva & Salivary Gland Disorders

Overview

Salivary glands are located in the mouth. There are three pairs of large salivary glands. Parotid glands are found in front of and just below each ear. Submandibular glands are below the jaw. Sublingual glands are under the tongue. There are also hundreds of smaller glands. These glands make saliva (spit) and empty it into the mouth through openings called ducts. Saliva makes food moist, which helps chewing and swallowing and the digestion of food. Saliva also keeps the mouth clean and healthy because it contains antibodies that kill germs.

Dental Sealants

Versión en español

Dental sealants are thin plastic coatings that protect the chewing surfaces of children’s back teeth from cavities, or tooth decay. Because they have small pits and grooves, these surfaces are rough and uneven. Food and germs can get stuck in the pits and grooves and stay there for a long time because toothbrush bristles cannot brush them away. Sealants fill in the grooves and keep the food out.

Children should get sealants on their permanent molars (back teeth) as soon as they come in, before decay attacks the teeth. The first molars come into the mouth when children are about 6 years old, and the second molars appear when children are about 12 years old.

Sealants can be put on in a dental office, a community dental clinic, or in a school sealant program.

Applying sealants is simple and painless. They are painted on as a liquid and quickly harden to form a shield over the tooth.

Sjögren's Disease

Versión en español

Sjögren’s (SHOW-grins) syndrome is an autoimmune disorder that reduces the amount of tears in the eyes and saliva in the mouth. As a result, people with Sjögren's syndrome have dry mouth and dry eyes. Dry mouth affects taste, makes chewing and swallowing more difficult, and increases the risk for cavities, tooth loss, and infections in the mouth.

In addition, Sjögren's syndrome may cause skin, nose, and vaginal dryness, and may affect other parts of the body including the kidneys, blood vessels, lungs, liver, pancreas, and brain.

Sjögren's syndrome affects 1-4 million people in the United States and occurs in all races and ethnicities. Most people are more than 50 years old when they are first diagnosed. Women are nine times more likely to have Sjögren's syndrome than men.