A macroeconomic review of dentistry in Canada in the 1990s.

Objectives: To document the trends in expenditures on dental health care services and the number of dental health care professionals in Canada from 1990 to 1999.

Methods: Information on dental and health expenditures, numbers of dentists, hygienists and dental therapists, and the population of Canada and the provinces were obtained from the Canadian Institute for Health Information; data on numbers of denturists were obtained from regional bodies and from Health Canada. Information on the costs of other disease categories was taken from studies by Health Canada (1993 and 1998).