Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026
Intraoperative Assessment of Resection Margins in Oral Cavity Cancer: This is the Way
Published on: May 10, 2021
The effect of funding cuts on the utilization of an oral pathology diagnostic service
Deepika Chugh1, R John McComb, David Mock
1Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Aim:
To examine what impact the loss of funding had on the utilization of the oral pathology service.
Methodology:
Biopsy records were retrieved and examined in the two year period before and after the elimination of the subsidies in 2003.
Results:
After the loss of funding, there was a 31% decrease in the number of specimens submitted from practitioners in private practice, with the greatest drop noted in submissions from endodontists.
Conclusion:
Despite the immediate decrease in the number of biopsies submitted after the introduction of fee-for-service, the number of specimens being submitted appears to be on the rise again, as practitioners appear to recognize the value of a specialized oral pathology diagnostic service.
