WORK-FORCE TRENDS THAT INFLUENCE DENTAL SERVICE CAPACITY

Although the total number of active private dentists increased by 21.7 percent between 1982 and 1995, the number of active private part-time dentists increased by 104 percent, while the number of active private full-time dentists increased by 8 percent. Thus, the total number of hours active private dentists spent in the office has not increased to the same extent as the number of active private dentists. During the same period, however, the average number of hours spent treating patie nts increased, indicating that dentists are becoming more efficient in directing their office hours toward clinical dentistry. The distribut ion of active private part- and full-time dentists and the actual numb er of hours they spent in the dental office and spent treating patient s provide a more complete picture of the capacity of the dental care d elivery system than only looking at the increase in the total number o f dentists.