A preferred future through informed choice.
The premise of this article is that discriminating patients will seek optimal dental health from dentists who understand and accommodate their expectations, whereas those patients with low expectations will have their requirements satisfied by providers equipped to process large numbers of people. Dentists who intend to remain "captains of their fate" must understand the sociologic evolution occurring in the provision of health care to the masses if they are to chart an appropriate course for their professional contribution. By accepting that change is occurring, they can prepare themselves and their practices for the segment of the population they choose to serve.
L. D. Pankey Dental Foundation, Inc., Key Biscayne, Florida.
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