Future of dental education: strategic issues.

Dental education institutions, as components of university systems, must develop short-, mid-, and long-range plans for program development, resource allocation, evaluation, and continued financial support. This ongoing process must be accomplished in a very competitive academic arena where program excellence and program relevance are key issues in the game of survival. This presentation has focused on the major issues raised by the Strategic Plan of the American Dental Association, which must be considered by education institutions as they develop their plans. The Strategic Plan outlines some of the most crucial issues in dental education, and careful study of its content should be an obligatory step in any dental school planning process.