How right Dr. Meskin was then and is now ("Back to the Future," April JADA).
The error made in the 1960s, when more dental schools were opened and existing schools enlarged their classes, was that need was confused with demand. There’s a difference.
Another oversupply of dentists will not bring costs of dental care down. Many of the expenses of delivering dental care are fixed and unaffected by the supply of dentists.
As Dr. Meskin said, the solution is training more auxiliary personnel. That can bring the cost of treatment down and improve access.
As to the paucity of dentists in "underserved" areas, you can’t expect dentists to locate in areas where the population is either unwilling to get treatment or unable to afford the cost of dental care.
