Dental Care Needs & Services: Community and Migrant Health Centers
Author: Chiodo, Gary T.
Date Published: 1988
This document examines both the trends in dental disease incidence as well as trends in the delivery of dental health care in community and migrant health centers over the previous 20 years. The increased dentist-to-population ratio along with the decreased real income of dentists and lack of business have convinced dentists that there are too many dentists and too few patients. This perception is due in part to the well-documented decrease in dental caries in the general population. The corollary to this perception is a perception that dentists make their living and keep busy almost entirely by treating caries-related disease. During this same 20-yeaperiod, the incidence of periodontal disease as well as caries incidence in specific groups of people has not significantly changed. Thus, while the improved dentist-to-population ratio and preventive technology have resulted in better dental health for some, there remain large groups who have had no improvement in their oral disease incidence during the past two decades. This paper will examine both the trends in dental disease incidence as well as trends in the delivery of dental health care. The discussion of dental diseases is placed first because changes in disease incidence have had a direct effect on delivery systems and practice characteristics.
Date Published: 1988
This document examines both the trends in dental disease incidence as well as trends in the delivery of dental health care in community and migrant health centers over the previous 20 years. The increased dentist-to-population ratio along with the decreased real income of dentists and lack of business have convinced dentists that there are too many dentists and too few patients. This perception is due in part to the well-documented decrease in dental caries in the general population. The corollary to this perception is a perception that dentists make their living and keep busy almost entirely by treating caries-related disease. During this same 20-yeaperiod, the incidence of periodontal disease as well as caries incidence in specific groups of people has not significantly changed. Thus, while the improved dentist-to-population ratio and preventive technology have resulted in better dental health for some, there remain large groups who have had no improvement in their oral disease incidence during the past two decades. This paper will examine both the trends in dental disease incidence as well as trends in the delivery of dental health care. The discussion of dental diseases is placed first because changes in disease incidence have had a direct effect on delivery systems and practice characteristics.
