Access to dental care: a call for innovation

For many Americans dentistry not only works but works very well. Most Americans receive the care that they need and want. However, dentistry's success has not been whole or uniform and it has not reached every corner of America. In a society as prosperous as our, it is incumbent upon us, as a profession to help make sure that dentistry's success is accessible to each and every American. While recent efforts to address dental services use disparities may result in some improvements, most likely no single national effort will be globally effective. New ideas, including innovations that are local in design and market sensitive, will be needed to make the kinds of improvements that are desired.