FUTURE OFDENTISTRY
The guiding vision for this discussion has been
that in ten to fifteen years, every individual who
needs oral health care will access that care from oral
health care providers who are educated and skilled
in the current best practices using the latest and
most appropriate technology.
Achieving this vision requires a strategy that
addresses the availability, accessibility, and accept-
ability of oral health care. The pathway is apparent:
the future promises the diagnostic and technological
advances necessary to improve the oral health of the
entire United States population. There is new under-
standing of the etiology and pathogenesis of oral
diseases and oral disease prevention, diagnosis, and
treatment. Dentistry is experiencing improved effi-
ciencies in practice, integration of computers into
practice, and enhanced information transfer.
The objective is to make oral health care avail-
able, accessible, and acceptable to all. A key path-
way toward achieving this objective is the develop-
ment of suitable facilities and personnel.
Strategies to assure available facilities and per-
sonnel should begin with a comprehensive and
ongoing assessment of the dental professional
workforce. Additionally, the current dental work-
force models should be continually evaluated,
updated, and refined so that the most accurate pre-
dictions possible are available for the number, type
and distribution requirements of dental personnel.
The dental profession, in collaboration with den-
tal schools, federal and state governments, and pri-
vate foundations, should develop endowed pro-
grams for scholarships and debt relief to enhance
recruitment of lower-income, academically qualified
students into dental education (DDS, DA, DH) to
assure diversity in the dental workforce.
Stipend support and positions for post-graduate res-
idency training must be made available to increase the
numbers of dentists capable and willing to provide care
to low-income and special needs populations.
Collaborative broad-based strategies for increas-
ing the availability of all allied health personnel and
insuring their retention in the dental workforce are
needed. Recruitment should begin early, include
traditional and non-traditional students, and, if nec-
essary, extend to international efforts.
Increasing the number of dental hygienists and
dental assistants through recruitment and retention
initiatives can enhance the productive capacity of
the dental workforce. The dentist should remain
responsible for diagnosis, treatment planning and
assessment and supervision of delegated duties.
A task force should be convened which includes the
dental profession, the dental laboratory industry and
dental laboratory schools to address dental laboratory
personnel recruitment, training and retention issues.
While the dental delivery system may continue as
a predominantly private, solo practice model, new
models are needed that expand capacity and provide
quality care for the entire population including low-
income, medically compromised, physically chal-
lenged and nursing home residents.
Strategies to assure that appropriate skills, knowl-
edge, technology, and best practices are available
and applied to dental care should begin with efforts
to assist dentists.
Computers and associated information technolo-
gy will become increasingly important in:u Data collection, documentation and transmission;u Diagnosis and treatment;u Outcomes assessment; and,u Communication with patients and colleagues.Scientific advances in diagnostics and treatment as
well as information technology will require dentists to
become more techno-literate and sophisticated in their
evaluation and application of such technology.
Efforts also should be undertaken to ensure the
timely transfer and incorporation of new technolo-
gies into dental practice to enhance the effectiveness
and efficiency of information transfer and clinical
care. Application of systems that protect the confi-
dentiality of patient information between dentists,
dental specialists, physicians and other health care
providers must be promoted.
As the use of diagnostic codes increases, dental
practices will be in a stronger position to contribute
to the development of the knowledge base of den-
tistry (i.e., outcomes of care) and eventual patient
care modalities. Databases amassed from dentalClinical Dental Practice and Management