Any specific controversy or problem, major or minor, can be apparently justified by emphasizing the volume of data which justifies the criteria preselected by a proponent. The situation, in many instances, becomes selfdefining and the observations self-evident when criteria are specifically stated which are acceptable and/or desirable on the part of all-participants and observers, consumers and providers, opponents and proponents.The problems and controversies related to all the facets of dentistry, social and technical, are no exception and in order to intelligently discuss the proposed topic for today we must first establish a philosophy for the purpose and existence of the dental profession. A philosophy which is logical, desirable and feasible and which has the desired result-that is, a desired result from the point of view of the payee, the consumer, the recipient, the patient or whatever name or description you wish to apply to the individuals who make up the entire population of our country. A philosophy with more than a concept-a philosophy with a demonstrable achievable overall beneficial result-optimum oral health services for all people.The responsible officers and representatives of various groups of organized dentistry including the American Dental Association have long stated by the printed and spoken word that the primary mission of the dental profession was to provide the best possible service to the public. The actions and results of the profession's aggregate effort plainly deny that this philosophy is indeed practiced (and therefore. I assume, deny that it is even believed) by more than a selected few individuals of this profession, most of whom are in the field of public health.Our profession has stated to its members (during their dental training-undergraduate, postgraduate and graduate) that we now have the capability of retaining for most individuals their full complement of teeth in good functional form, if not fully untouched by disease, and intact. We have stated that there is little reason, other than by accident, why a person should lose a tooth during his entire lifetime. We say this in one breath and in the same breath indicate, among other things, that it is I ) the patient's fault that he doesn't know, doesn't want or doesn't do, 2) impossible to do anyhow for everyone because we haven't got and probably never will have enough dentists while the activities
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