Estimating dental manpower requirements on a statewide basis

Area of Science:

• Dental Public Health
• Health Workforce Planning
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Traditional dental workforce planning often relies on population-to-manpower ratios.
• Estimating dental treatment needs requires considering disease prevalence and service delivery capacity.
• Subjective judgments based on conventional practice standards influence treatment estimations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop improved measures of dental workforce requirements using epidemiological data and practice productivity.
• To provide a more meaningful approach to dental manpower planning in North Carolina.
• To establish statewide and regional estimates of dental professional needs.

Main Methods:

• Utilized epidemiological data on dental diseases.
• Incorporated data on dental practice productivity.
• Estimated treatment needs based on conventional practice standards.

Main Results:

• Derived estimates for dental-office practice productivity across major procedures and conditions.
• Developed measures of dental manpower requirements on state and regional levels.
• Identified limitations, such as not directly measuring consumer demand.

Conclusions:

• The study's methodology offers a more meaningful approach to dental manpower planning than traditional population ratios.
• The approach provides a basis for more informed decisions regarding dental workforce needs.
• Further research could incorporate additional factors like consumer demand for a comprehensive assessment.