The Coming Shortage of Dentists

A wag has observed that if all the dentists were to go on strike the world wouldn't know it for six months-or until their next cleaning appointment...whichever came first.

But the surprising fact is that there are fewer dental schools today than there were 20 years ago.  Seven dental schools have closed since 1989.  And, today, the total number of enrolled dental students is about equal to the number of students in the 1960’s.  In the US there is a skewed geographical distribution of dental schools:  14 States have NO dental school.

Recently, when the Alaska determined a need for dental nurses, there was no training program in the United States.  So Alaska had to send their dental nursing students 8000 miles to Otago University on the South Island of New Zealand.

US Dental Education is simply not receiving sufficient attention.

For every three dentists who retire, only two new dental students are graduated from US dental schools.  It appears we are headed for the same kind of shortage of dentists that exists in some other countries.

And remember- since there is no Medicare coverage for dental care

We need to PUT TEETH INTO THE MEDICARE LAW!