Six dental schools have closed in the last decade and others are in jeopardy. Facing this uncertainty about the status of dental education and the continued tension between educators and practitioners, leaders in the profession have recognized the need for purpose and direction. This comprehensive volumeâ€"the first to cover the education, research, and patient care missions of dental schoolsâ€"offers specific recommendations on oral health assessment, access to dental care, dental school curricula, financing for education, research priorities, examinations and licensing, workforce planning, and other key areas. Well organized and accessible, the book: Recaps the evolution of dental practice and education. Reviews key indicators of oral health status, outlines oral health goals, and discusses implications for education. Addresses major curriculum concerns. Examines health services that dental schools provide to patients and communities. Looks at faculty and student involvement in research. Explores the relationship of dental education to the university, the dental profession, and society at large. Accreditation, the dental workforce, and other critical policy issues are highlighted as well. Of greatest interest to deans, faculty, administrators, and students at dental schools, as well as to academic health centers and universities, this book also will be informative for health policymakers, dental professionals, and dental researchers.

This report is the twelfth assessment of the National Institutes of Health National Research Service Awards program. The research training needs of the country in basic biomedical, clinical, and behavioral and social sciences are considered. Also included are the training needs of oral health, nursing, and health services research. The report has been broadly constructed to take into account the rapidly evolving national and international health care needs. The past and present are analyzed, and predictions with regard to future needs are presented.

This essential textbook presents the basics of dental statistics in an accessible way, combining explanation in non-technical language with key messages, practical examples, suggestions for further reading and exercises complete with detailed solutions. There is an emphasis on the principles and application of statistics without the use of algebra. The statistical material is strongly rooted in practical examples drawn from a wide range of journal articles representing both dental health care delivery and clinical dentistry. The perspective is international, with papers drawn from a variety of settings around the world. Many articles are recent and report contemporary developments in dental care. The intended audience includes dental students and practitioners, those engaged in dental research and other health care professionals. For students and tutors, it covers the undergraduate curriculum, and the exercises and solutions make it ideal for course use. For practitioners and researchers it provides the first principles of study design, accessing the dental literature, and the preparation and publication of original dental research.

Because of increasing antibiotic resistance, stronger antibiotics are reserved for serious active infection, paving the way for a greater use of herbal antibiotics. This book helps dentists in implementing safe and effective natural medicine therapies to complement the current practice guidelines. Oral diseases continue to be a major health problem world-wide. Oral health is integral to general well-being and relates to the quality-of-life that extends beyond the functions of the craniofacial complex. The standard Western medicine has had only limited success in the prevention of periodontal disease and in the treatment of a variety of oral diseases. The dentist needs to be more informed regarding the use, safety and effectiveness of the various traditional medicines and over-the-counter products. Herbal extracts have been used in dentistry for reducing inflammation, as antimicrobial plaque agents, for preventing release of histamine and as antiseptics, antioxidants, antimicrobials, antifungals, antibacterials, antivirals and analgesics. They also aid in healing and are effective in controlling microbial plaque in gingivitis and periodontitis and thereby improving immunity. The 26 chapters in this unique book explore all the measures to utilize the natural oral care obtained from plants, animals and mineral drugs for dental care.