Could dental offices be a new front in the effort to vaccinate children against human papillomavirus (HPV)? The results of a new pilot project suggest the answer is yes, and the organizers of the effort say it should be expanded nationally. 

“With increasing vaccine hesitancy, I think it is imperative that patients hear from all of their healthcare providers that vaccines are important for their health,” said Jessica Jack, MD, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, who helped design the program. 

Over a 2-year period, the initiative was linked to a nearly three-fold increase in the rate of vaccination against HPV, a leading cause of oral and cervical cancers. 

Jack, who presented the results of their study at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 2025 National Conference, said the success of the pilot project led her and her colleagues to develop a toolkit for dentists to help them promote HPV vaccines in their practices. 

“Dentists give complex intraoral injections and are very capable of administering vaccines,” Jack said. “They also routinely screen for oropharyngeal cancers, the leading cause of which is HPV, so having them involved in the primary prevention of HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers the next logical step.”

A little over half of teens are currently vaccinated against HPV, while Healthy People 2030 has set the goal to 80% of US adolescents being vaccinated by age 15. Many school-aged children routinely see a dentist twice a year for cleanings, even if they visit a pediatrician less frequently, Jack said.

In the pilot program, tested between June 2021 and May 2023, dental professionals in a large, safety-net health system in Denver were encouraged to recommend the HPV to children between ages 9 and 17 years. Children and teens received a vaccination if they and their caregivers consented. Dentists cannot currently administer vaccines in Colorado, but a new law will allow dentists and dental hygienists to do so starting next spring. 

Vaccines were offered during 2781 pediatric dental visits, resulting in a vaccination rate of 13.9% at the end of the intervention, up from 5.3% at baseline. Most (77%) of the children in the study population were covered by Medicaid and 21% were uninsured. 

“I also hope that having dentists recommending HPV vaccination will resonate with families of boys, as oropharyngeal cancers are more likely in men,” Jack said. 

Components of the toolkit include information about the diseases HPV causes, evidence-based vaccine counseling, talking points for vaccine hesitancy, details on vaccine storage and handling, and a script for dentists to explain the benefits of HPV. The toolkit also includes templates for electronic health record documentation, billing and coding guidance, and administrative information on the Vaccines for Children program, a federal initiative that provides free vaccines for children on Medicaid or whose parents or guardians might not otherwise be able to afford them.

Barriers to Integration 

Despite the promising results, several barriers to administering vaccines in dental clinics exist. 

Currently, approximately seven states — including Oregon, Louisiana, and New Jersey — allow dentists and dental hygienists to administer vaccines.

Regulations for storage and other rules under the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program also may discourage dentists from getting involved in immunizations, Jack said. 

Once the Colorado law goes into effect, clinicians will be able to apply to participate in the VFC program, or they can purchase vaccine out-of-pocket for reimbursement from insurers. 

“Regulations regarding who can give immunizations need to be revised to let vaccines get into patients with minimal government interference,” said Timothy Joos, MD, an internist and pediatrician at Neighborcare Health in Seattle, who was not involved in the study. “Any intervention to move the HPV vaccine out of the refrigerator and into arms is a benefit.”

Jack and Joos reported no relevant financial conflicts of interest.