A profession in transition.

Dentistry is a profession in transition. Important economic, demographic and political forces are colliding to reshape the practice environment for America’s dentists. To better understand the potential changes on the horizon, the American Dental Association (ADA) recently carried out a comprehensive, future-oriented analysis of the dental care sector as part of the 2015-2020 strategic plan development process.1 This first-of-its-kind analysis drew on research carried out by health care consulting firm Diringer and Associates, various external consultants and the ADA’s Health Policy Resources Center. Researchers investigated a wide variety of topics over a period of several months. To help identify the most pressing environmental factors that need to guide the ADA’s strategic plan and to assist in a “what does it all mean for dentistry” discussion, a group of external thought leaders with diverse backgrounds and perspectives were asked to share their insights at a two-day conference. The full report, A Profession in Transition,1 was released in August 2013. This is an executive summary of the key findings.