Prevailing academic environment for faculty in operative dentistry: recommendations for change.

All dental schools in the United States were surveyed to determine the academic responsibilities and expectations for promotion and tenure for faculty who teach operative dentistry. Forty-six of the 59 schools responded. Questions were asked concerning job responsibilities for faculty who teach operative dentistry and the requirements for academic promotion and tenure for those faculty members. Most operative dentistry faculty are required to devote extensive time to teaching with modest time allocations and minimal support for research. Promotion and tenure requirements tend to stress research productivity. Recommendations are made for future change.