The future of dentistry: an overview of a new report.

BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW

The 2001 Future of Dentistry, or FOD, report was commissioned by the American Dental Association in 1999, developed by an oversight committee, and presented to the ADA House of Delegates in October 2001. The FOD report was intended to describe the current status of the U.S. dental profession, observe the recent trends that have guided the profession, envision challenges that the profession will face in the next five to 15 years and, finally, make recommendations about how to meet those challenges. This article presents a digest of some of the issues that are perceived to be of greatest interest and concern to the country's practicing dentists.

CONCLUSIONS

The analyses in the FOD report lead to the conclusion that the profession is strong and healthy and that revolutionary changes are not necessary. Rather, a concerted effort to address the areas of concern is important to assure the American people of access to the finest dental health care possible. This will require the cooperation of all those involved in the delivery of dental care--not only the profession itself, but also industry, policy-makers and the public.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

The FOD report is a road map that will give every practitioner in his or her office more tools to provide the best care to the public. All of the recommendations--whether they involve education, research, finance or clinical practice--are meant to stimulate thoughts and actions that will help dentists and their patients in the pursuit of optimal oral health.