When Congress reenacted the Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in 2009, it incorporated a range of dental provisions that had not been considered when the program was initiated in 1997. This paper posits that this change evidences the establishment of pediatric oral health as a distinct policy issue within Congressional deliberations. During this period, the US Congress received impetus for action on behalf of children's oral health from multiple streams of activity: the Surgeon General's Report, Oral Health in America, policies enacted by states, advocacy by the professions, promotion by policy groups, attention by the press, and actions of federal agencies.
