Publications

The Distribution and Composition of Arizona's Dental Workforce and Practice Patterns: Implications for Access to Care

Author(s): 

Elizabeth Mertz, Kevin Grumbach

Date: 
July 7, 2004

The problem of access to dental care services gained national attention following the publication of the first ever Surgeon General’s report on Oral Health. However, dental policies and programs implemented over the past several decades have done little to change the practice patterns of dental providers. In fact, disparities in oral health status have increased, partially due to inequities in access to care. This report summarizes the findings of a statewide survey of dentists in Arizona, particularly examining the patterns of practice in relation to access to care for underserved populations.