Journal of the American Dental Association, Vol 119, Issue 1, 117-121
Copyright © 1989 by American Dental Association
The economic health of dentistry: past, present, and future
TJ Beazoglou,
AH Guay,
and
DR Heffley
Department of Behavioral Sciences and Community Health, University of Connecticut Health Center, School of Dental Medicine, Farmington 06032.
Important changes in dentistry during the past two decades include a declining caries incidence, an increase in the number of dentists, greater competition for patients, and the spread of retail dentistry and alternative plans for financing and delivering dental services. Dire predictions about the effects of these changes often have not been based on facts. This article uses available data to examine the profession's economic prospects.