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Dental Public Health: New Opportunities–New Responsibilities *
Author(s) -
Wotman Stephen
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of public health dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1752-7325
pISSN - 0022-4006
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-7325.1991.tb02189.x
Subject(s) - public health , dental public health , specialty , medicine , dentistry , oral health , medical education , family medicine , environmental health , nursing
Major changes affecting oral health in the United States have provided new leadership challenges for public health dentistry. Two new roles for dental public health are proposed: leadership in the incorporation of expanded public health skills into the education of every clinical dentist; and a broadening of the specialty in a manner similar to that of preventive medicine, involving the creation of subspecialties in public health dentistry, occupational environmental dentistry, and management policy dentistry. The current status of community dentistry departments in dental schools and programs of public health education for dental personnel in schools of public health are reviewed. Content is suggested for the incorporation of expanded public health skills into the education of every clinical dentist.