Charles Bentley was a dental practitioner, organizer, educator, intellectual, author, researcher, speaker and musician. His contributions to dental health care were universally applicable, but they were grudgingly accepted by mainstream dentistry in the United States. He was criticized by many fellow Blacks and envied by many White colleagues.…

The article describes a survey of 36 dental education programs to identify educators' reactive policies and procedures in their patient treatment centers to minimize dental contamination and cross-contamination. (Author/CT)

Acceptance of practical tests for dental school graduates brings with it questions of the reliability and efficacy of the board examinations. The continued existence of state boards has been justified by suggesting that any weakening in curriculum is apparent by the state dental board's annual review. (MLW)

Presents data from the development and testing of an instrument created to evaluate the oral health of nursing home residents by nursing personnel. Examination of 100 residents by dentists and 3 categories of trained nurses established statistically significant interrater reliability, suggesting that nursing staff can be taught to evaluate the…

A review of the development and present status of departments of social dentistry is provided, along with a discussion of evolving programs and need for a change in the relationship between departments of social dentistry and the general school teaching programs. (JSR)

Focusing dental efforts on hard-core and high-risk smokers can decrease smoking prevalence. Challenges to the dental profession include professional legitimacy, dental professional education, defining special populations, and overcoming barriers to access. Opportunities include strategic placement, strategic relations with those serving high-risk…

A study describes the characteristics of the current primary dental care workforce (dentists, hygienists, assistants), its distribution, and its delivery system in private and public sectors. Graduate dental school enrollments, trends in patient visits, employment patterns, state dental activities, and workforce issues related to health care…

A discussion of the need for better research on women's health looks at significant gender differences that are factors in health and health education (longevity, poverty, use of medical services, doctor-patient interaction, and women in dentistry) as well aspects of research methodology that need improvement. (MSE)