This great resource presents dentistry and dental practice against the ever-changing backdrop of economic, technological, and demographic trends, as well as the distribution of the oral diseases that dental professionals treat and prevent. The text is logically divided into five parts. Dentistry and the Community deals with the development of the dental and dental hygiene professions, demographics of the public, its use of dental services, and the professional role. Dental Practice covers the structure and financing of dental care, the personnel involved in providing that care, and the emerging field of evidence-based dentistry. The Methods of Oral Epidemiology provides a comprehensive assessment of the epidemiology of oral diseases and the determinants of their distribution in society. The Distribution of Oral Diseases and Conditions gives a detailed presentation of how the common oral diseases are distributed in the community. Prevention of Oral Diseases in Public Health discusses methods of preventing oral diseases in dental practice and through public health action. Thorough explanations of how to read dental literature help readers understand how to draw their own conclusions from the latest studies. Coverage presents a number of complex problems facing practitioners today regarding access to dental care, and discusses how to solve them by working with public authorities and insurers. Comprehensive coverage of oral disease distribution helps readers to understand trends and risks they will encounter in the field. Material on prevention and control of oral diseases provides important information that all dental practitioners should have. Research designs used in oral epidemology assess the pros and cons of dental indexes available, allowing readers to gain an understanding of the complexities of disease measurement and research. Detailed content on providing dental care to the American public presents a unique opportunity to learn the system of dental care delivery. State-of-the-art coverage of mercury issues offer a balanced view of issues like toxicity, potential hazards, review of evidence, and politics. Ethical guidelines provide a discussion of how ethical principles have evolved over time and the precipitating events that pushed ethical practice into the forefront of health care. Information on the development of dental professions gives readers insight into how these professions originated and their current state. · Content addresses evidence-based dentistry, and how it can and should become part of the everyday clinical life of the practitioner, since staying current is vital to providing excellent patient care. · Discussions of infection control procedures and the impact of HIV and Hepatitis B incorporate new, updated guidelines in dental health care settings released in 2003.