Despite improvements in oral health status and clear links between oral and systemic health, oral health is not accorded the same importance in health care policy as is general health. This review of oral health disparities over the life span documents the results of this inequity. Dental concerns and unmet dental treatment needs, especially among vulnerable populations, are not well addressed ...

Dr. Weaver is Associate Director of the Center for Educational Policy and Research, Dr. Haden is Associate Executive Director and Director of the Center for Educational Policy and Research, and Dr. Valachovic is Executive Director, all at the American Dental Education Association. Direct correspondence and requests for reprints to Dr. Richard G. Weaver, American Dental Education Association, 16...

SUMMARY OBJECTIVES To explore the degree of agreement on issues surrounding the proposals for dental health personnel requirements among key oral health personalities who are central to determining policy on oral health personnel requirements for Ghana and to make recommendations to assist in the future development of dental health personnel requirements. DESIGN A review of the literature, pu...

Ensuring access to dental care, particularly for children, is a significant policy concern in the United States. Many factors affect access on both the provider and patient sides. This study examines an important factor in the ability to access dental care: the distribution and availability of dental health providers. The authors assess providers across the counties of Pennsylvania, primarily u...

Dental diseases are a significant public health menace having a substantial impact on the quality of life which in turn affects the daily performance and general life satisfaction. There is a vast difference in health status including the oral health between urban and rural population of India and in other developing countries. The existing situation demands the formulation and implementation o...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Although preventive dental visits are considered important for maintaining pediatric oral health, there is relatively little research showing that they reduce subsequent nonpreventive dental visits or costs. At least 1 study seemed to find that early preventive dental care is associated with more restorative and emergency visits. Previous studies are limited by their i...