title: Letter from America: UK and US state-funded dental provision.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Current UK and US economic conditions have re-focussed attention on the need to deliver dental care with limited finance and resources. This raises hard questions determining which services will be offered and what they should achieve to satisfy public demands and needs. We consider impending dental health reforms in the US and UK within the context of contemporary experiences to identify issues and delivery goals for the two nations.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The paper provides a brief history and background of the development of social dental care models in the UK and US, highlighting some differences in state-funded delivery of dental care. SHIFTING DEMAND: From the 1950s, demand for dental treatment has increased and acquired a more complex composition growing from predominantly surgical and restorative treatment to encompass preventive care and cosmetic services. PRIORITISING CARE ACCORDING TO NEED: Despite improvements in general health and technology, inequalities in access and utilisation of dental care are still experienced, primarily by groups with low socio-economic status. DELIVERY: BALANCING RESOURCES, DEMAND AND NEED: In developing and delivering reform agendas, much can be learned from previous policy interventions. Pressures of cost, coverage, and capacity, besides demand versus need must be carefully considered and balanced to deliver quality service and value for users and taxpayers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ethical and moral consideration should be given to making services needs-driven to address high treatment requirements rather than the high care demands of the worried well. This challenge brings the additional political pressure of convincing many of the voters (and subsequent complainers) that their demands may be less important than the needs of others.
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, University of Manchester UK. richard.currie-2@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Currie
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Pretty
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tickle
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maupomé
mesh_terms: D003752:Dental Health Services / Q000145:classification / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004990:Ethics, Dental; D017048:Health Care Costs; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000458:organization & administration; D019981:Health Care Sector; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006291:Health Policy; D006292:Health Priorities; D006295:Health Resources; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D061889:Healthcare Financing; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000458:organization & administration; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D058991:Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act / Q000458:organization & administration; D011313:Preventive Dentistry / Q000458:organization & administration; D011320:Primary Health Care; D017149:Private Sector; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012923:Social Class; D013218:State Dentistry / Q000458:organization & administration; D006113:United Kingdom; D014481:United States