title: The growing challenge of providing oral health care services to all Americans.
abstract: By many measures, the practice of dentistry has improved for the dentist over the past decade. Hours of work are down, and compensation is increasing. However, there is a growing disconnect between the dominant pattern of practice of the profession and the oral health needs of the nation. To address these needs, the profession will need to take some radical steps toward redefinition, or the responsibility for many for these needs and special populations may shift to other providers and other institutions.
authors.affiliation: Center for the Health Profession, University of California, San Francisco, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mertz
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: O'Neil
mesh_terms: D003729:Dental Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003756:Dental Hygienists / Q000600:supply & distribution; D003815:Dentists / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006280:Health Workforce / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D011331:Private Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011636:Public Health Dentistry; D014481:United States