A review and discussion of goals in community dentistry.

The author discusses the need for clearly stated goals in community dentistry, the choice of goals, and the chances to achieve them. Goals in community health planning should be based on the values, needs and resources of the community in question. When analyzing goals a distinction should be made between dental health and dental care. Some goals for dental care, e.g. equity of access, may concern social justice but do not necessarily lead to better dental health. It is generally agreed that good dental health for a whole community cannot be achieved by restorative treatment alone; good dental health habits are considered to be a better way to promote dental health. Existing research indicates that there are chances to attain an acceptable level of dental health if the community effort is systematically planned and executed. There are indications that a reduction in the prevalence of dental disease can be brought about by new and effective means in the future. Long-term planning should be flexible enough to respond to new opportunities.