[Relation of disease patterns and dental care services]

Oral care services are examined as one of the variables related to the oral disease patterns of a population as well as other factors such as social and economic level, culture, nutrition patterns and the degree of global development of each country which play a more important role in determining the level of health in the community is analysed. The dramatic situation in the developing countries, which have emulated the oral care services and human resources training models of industrialized countries (large numbers of professionals who render services only to those who can pay for them), which have led to an increasing prevalence of oral diseases, is described. It shows that the main challenge to the profession at the present time is the building up of dental services rooted in social issues and aimed at the population at large.