Dental Group Practice and the Need for Dentists.

This study compared the number of patients treated per year by general dentists and dental hygienists in solo practice and by those employed by a large group practice. Information on the annual number of patient visits to solo general dental practitioners comes from the 2013 American Dental Association (ADA) Survey of Dental Practice. Patient visits were divided by 2.

Are Dental Schools Part of the Safety Net?

This article examines the current safety net activities of dental schools and reviews strategies by which schools could care for more poor and low-income patients. The primary data come from the annual Survey of Dental Education, a joint American Dental Education Association (ADEA) and American Dental Association (ADA) activity. The analyses use descriptive statistics and are intended to give ballpark estimates of patients treated under varying clinical scenarios.

Trends in Financing Dental Education, 2004-05 to 2011-12.

This article examines dental school financial trends from 2004-05 to 2011-12, based on data from the American Dental Association (ADA) annual financial survey completed by all U.S. dental schools.

How Many Dentists Are Needed in 2040: Executive Summary.

Five background articles in Section 2 of the "Advancing Dental Education in the 21 Century" project examined some of the factors likely to impact the number of dentists needed in 2040: 1) the oral health of the population, 2) changes in the utilization of dental services, 3) new technologies, 4) the growth of large capitated dental group practices, and 5) the demand for dental care. With this information, a sixth background article estimated the number of dentists needed in 2040 compared to the number expected if current trends continue. This executive summary provides an overview of findings from these six articles.