Planning for the manpower needs for the next generation of periodontal patients.

Projections by the bureau of the census indicate that there will be an additional 55.6 million people 20 years and older living in this country by the year 2020. Estimates are developed for each state and region of the needed numbers of periodontists to maintain current practitioner levels. The availability of needed practitioners is considered in terms of the number of graduates from periodontal training programs. A short-fall is projected in the number of training program graduates needed to maintain current periodontist-to-population ratios by 2020.