Childhood vaccinations have been steadily declining in recent years. While numerous reasons have been put forward to explain this, health professionals have said a decline in non-emergency visits to medical facilities is a leading cause. Therefore, to reverse this decline in uptake, there has been research into the possibility of dental clinics playing a role in vaccination uptake.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, federal data has revealed that childhood vaccinations have been declining. Health professionals have attributed this predominantly to a decline in non-emergency visits to medical facilities due to the pandemic.
But with vaccinations being important in terms of protecting people and the wider public from serious diseases, a decline in their use can cause substantial societal problems.
Now, in an effort to reverse the trend, research has looked into the possibility of dental clinics playing a role in the uptake of childhood vaccinations [1].
Declining vaccination rates
The World Health Organization say that vaccines “reduce risks of getting a disease by working with your body’s natural defenses to build protection” [2].
Immunization is seen as a global health success story and has been lifesaving for millions of people. Some conditions and diseases, such as smallpox, have been eradicated through vaccines. Incidences of other diseases have reduced significantly due to vaccinations.
Childhood vaccinations were common practice for several decades. But in recent years, the number of children being vaccinated has been lowering [3].
This is believed to be in part due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as less children have been accessing non-emergency visits to medical facilities. Moreover, vaccine misinformation, concerns over the side effects of some of the Covid-19 vaccines, and arguments over bodily autonomy have all played a role in falling immunization numbers.
The most contentious vaccine has been the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine – known as the MMR vaccine. Vaccine sceptics have associated the MMR vaccine with the onset of Autism, though the scientific consensus is that no such connection exists [4].
In the United States, The first dose of the MMR vaccine was missed by 22 million children in 2023, a rise from 19.3 million in 2019 [2].
Local outbreaks of Measles have become common in recent years, with this believed in part to be due to the falling vaccination rates. The state of Texas is currently battling with an outbreak [5].
In an effort to improve vaccination rates, it has been suggested that dental clinics could assist. It is a proposition which could have a very positive impact.
A role to play for dental clinics
A team of academics sought to assist in this effort by hypothesizing that an integration between medical and dental care could be helpful. Their findings have been published in the Pediatrics journal [1].
The team explained that children over the age of 9 generally visit the dentist more than the medical providers that would typically administer routine vaccinations [1].
They set up a study that took place between June 2021 and May 2023. The study was based in family health centers in Colorado, which meant dental care and vaccines could be administered in one location [1].
These family health centers were key to medical-dental integration as the researchers explained that a medical assistant could administer a vaccine straight after a dental check-up [1].
Furthermore, the researchers noted that this approach allowed dentists to access the electronic health record system that is used by wider health professionals – meaning that they could view a patient’s immunization record [1].
The researchers found that this integrated model resulted in a 5% increase in vaccines given in 2021 compared to 2020. This was particularly impressive given the restrictions caused by Covid-19 at the time.
The team enjoyed particular success with an increase in human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations. Impressively, the vaccination rate at eligible visits increased from 5.3% in 2021 to 13.9% in 2023 [1].
In the study, any patient that was attending a dental check-up that was eligible for the HPV vaccine had the chance to have the vaccine on the same day [1].
The researchers noted that the HPV vaccine can be challenging to administer or talk about due to the sexual nature of the virus [1]. Therefore, they were particularly pleased with these results.
The researchers concluded that an approach of integrating medical and dental appointments could be highly effective for vaccine uptake.
Summary
Overall, a “one-stop shop” approach to dentistry and vaccinations can clearly be effective. In this example, vaccination rates rose strongly.
With vaccination numbers in children falling in recent years, this approach of integration could help to reverse this trend. Therefore, this would help to protect more people from these terrible conditions and diseases.
Jessica Jack is an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado’s School of Medicine. She served as the lead researcher and commented on the results.
Jack said that “there are many hoops to jump through, but it could be a great way to increase access to vaccines” [6].
Continuing, Jack said that the key question going forward for the “next phase of medical-dental integration” is “can we get standalone dental practices to get this up and running” [6].
If this is possible, then there could be widescale improvements in vaccine uptake. Increased vaccine uptake can protect millions and save countless lives.
Thinking points…
[1] This research is further evidence of the connection between physical and oral health. Many people don’t realize, but dentists are trained to spot the signs of some physical health conditions during check-ups. Therefore, it is crucial to attend a dental check-up not just for your oral health, but your wider health too! At a check-up, a dentist will be able to assess your oral health and look for the signs of physical health problems too. We recommend that you book an appointment soon!
[2] Do you have any children? If so, this research shows how useful childhood dental visits are. By taking children to dental appointments from a young age, it means that they will get into good habits that will hopefully serve them well in future life. Just like adults, they should attend a dental check-up at least once every six months. Why not book a check-up now?
What we offer at Savanna Dental
Savanna Dental is a dental clinic based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. We provide our patients with a range of treatment options and advice, with the aim of improving oral health and boosting overall wellbeing!
We advise our patients to attend our Calgary-based dental clinic twice a year for a dental check-up. If any problems are detected, we have many treatments available. For instance, these include cavity fillings and root canals. To try and prevent problems, it is important to brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss regularly.
Here at Savanna Dental, we also have some cosmetic treatments available! These include dental implants, tooth whitening and Invisalign[TM]! Our patients find that these treatments have a positive impact on their appearance, confidence and self-esteem.
In addition, the fees of our services at our Calgary dental clinic Savanna Dental are set in line with the Alberta Dental Fee Guide.
We would love you to visit our Savanna Dental clinic in Calgary! You can find out more about us by visiting our website https://savannadentalclinic.ca/!
References
[1] Jack, J. L., Stein, A. B., Podewils, L. J. (2025). Improving Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Administration Using Medical-Dental Integration. Pediatrics. 155 (4): e2024066639. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2024-066639.
[2] World Health Organiation. (2023). Vaccines and immunization. Available: https://www.who.int/health-topics/vaccines-and-immunization. Last accessed: 16th May 2025.
[3] Hill, H. A., Yankey, D., Elam-Evans, L. D., et al. (2024). Decline in Vaccination Coverage by Age 24 Months and Vaccination Inequities Among Children Born in 2020 and 2021 – National Immunization Survey-Child, United States, 2021-2023. MMWR: Morbidity and mortality weekly report. 73 (38): p844-853. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7338a3.
[4] DeStefano, F., & Shimabukuro, T. T. (2019). The MMR Vaccine and Autism. Annual Review of Virology. 6 (1): p585-600. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-virology-092818-015515.
[5] Texas Health and Human Services. (2025). Measles Outbreak – May 16, 2025. https://www.dshs.texas.gov/news-alerts/measles-outbreak-2025. Last accessed: 17th May 2025.
[6] Mason, K. (2025). To increase childhood vaccine uptake, researchers look to dental visits. Available: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-childhood-vaccine-uptake-dental.html. Last accessed: 16th May 2025.
