---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 280k"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "280k"
heading: "Oral healthcare prevention education campaign"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/280k"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter II — General Powers and Duties"
  - "Part T — Oral Healthcare Prevention Activities"
---

# §280k. Oral healthcare prevention education campaign

- (a) **Establishment of Oral Health Education Campaign—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c), acting through the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and in consultation with professional oral health organizations, shall, subject to the availability of appropriations, establish a 5-year national, public education campaign (referred to in this section as the “campaign”) that is focused on oral health education, including prevention of oral disease such as early childhood and other caries, periodontal disease, and oral cancer.
- (b) **Requirements—** In establishing the campaign under [subsection (a)](#a), the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall—
  - (1) ensure that activities are targeted towards specific populations such as children, pregnant women, parents, the elderly, individuals with disabilities, and ethnic and racial minority populations, including Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians (as defined in [section 1603(c)](/usc/42/1603.md)[^1] of title 25) in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner; and
  - (2) utilize science-based strategies to convey oral health prevention messages that include, but are not limited to, community water fluoridation and dental sealants.
- (c) **Action for dental health program—**
  - (1) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c), in consultation with the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the [Administrator](/usc/42/4005.md?p=1) of the Health Resources and [Services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) Administration, may award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to eligible entities to collaborate with [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f) or local public health officials, tribal health officials, oral health professional organizations, and others, as appropriate, to develop and implement initiatives to improve oral health, including activities to prevent dental disease and reduce barriers to the provision of dental [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a), including—
    - (A) through community-wide dental disease prevention [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4); and
    - (B) by increasing public awareness and education related to oral health and dental disease prevention.
  - (2) **Eligible entities—** To be eligible to receive a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this subsection, an entity shall be—
    - (A) a dental association;
    - (B) a [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f) or tribal health department or [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f) or tribal oral health [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4);
    - (C) an accredited dental education, dental hygiene, or postdoctoral dental education [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4); or
    - (D) a non-profit community-based organization that partners with public and private non-profit entities, such as an academic institution, to facilitate the provision of dental [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) to underserved populations.

## Footnotes

[^1]: See References in Text note below.

## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title III, § 399LL, as added Pub. L. 111–148, title IV, § 4102(a), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 550; amended Pub. L. 115–302, § 2(a), Dec. 11, 2018, 132 Stat. 4396.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 1603(c) of title 25, referred to in subsec. (b)(1), which defines “Indians”, was redesignated section 1603(13) of title 25 by Pub. L. 111–148, title X, § 10221(a), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 935.

### Amendments

2018—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–302, § 2(a)(1), inserted “of Oral Health Education Campaign” after “Establishment” in heading and substituted “focused on oral health education” for “focused on oral healthcare prevention and education” in text.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 115–302, § 2(a)(2), substituted “campaign under subsection (a)” for “campaign” in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 115–302, § 2(a)(3), added subsec. (c) and struck out former subsec. (c). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “Not later than 2 years after March 23, 2010, the Secretary shall begin implementing the 5-year campaign. During the 2-year period referred to in the previous sentence, the Secretary shall conduct planning activities with respect to the campaign.”