Current and future projections of dental school patient availability.

Results of a mail questionnaire received from 59 United States and ten Canadian dental schools indicated a potentially serious problem in obtaining and maintaining dental teaching patients. Most schools report at least one shortage that could eventually compromise the clinical education process. Future projections indicated a continuing problem due to perceived reductions in disease incidence. The importance of addressing this problem is accentuated by the dental schools' educational mission to provide sufficient clinical experiences in all subject areas of dentistry. The information derived from the questionnaire should provide background for dental administrators as they respond to the patient availability problem.