Future needs for fixed and removable partial dentures in the United States
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Chester W Douglass1, Ascella J Watson
1Department of Oral Health Policy, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA. chester_douglass@hms.harvard.edu
Statement Of Problem:
Because of the decline in missing teeth among most adults, prosthodontic advanced training programs are concerned about the need for prosthodontics in the future.
Purpose:
An analysis was conducted to project the unmet need for fixed and removable partial dentures in the years 2005, 2010, and 2020.
Material And Methods:
Unmet need was calculated as follows: Total need equals the number of persons in each age cohort multiplied by the percentage who need a fixed or removable partial denture multiplied by the average procedure time required to provide the service. Total unmet need then equals total need minus the annual supply of prosthodontic services delivered by prosthodontists and general practitioners.
Results:
Projected results indicate that total unmet need will increase from 488 million hours in 2005 to 517 million hours in 2010 and to 560 million hours in 2020.
Conclusion:
The significance of the results is that unmet prosthodontic need will increase and exceed the supply of services for the foreseeable 20-year future. Practicing dentists will find that a sizable minority of the population will continue to need fixed and removable partial denture services.
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