This paper provides an overview of last year’s U.S. Surgeon General’s report on oral health, describes the burden of oral diseases and craniofacial disorders in the United States, and draws parallels with the state of dental health in Canada and in the province of Ontario. It concludes by focusing on the report’s recommendations for future action and briefly notes some of the lessons that Canadians can learn from these findings. The goal of this paper is to stimulate further discussion of the issues raised in the report, in an effort to encourage public-private partnerships dedicated to the creation and support of programs to make oral health a more integral component of general health. (abstract from the article)