The impact of dental industry consolidation on access to care and good oral health in rural communities Positive or negative?

In a 2018 guest editorial, American Dental Association chief economist and and vice president of the Health Policy Institute, Marko Vujicic, argued that the oral health care system was “stuck” and that major expansions in use and improved oral health for those in greatest need would not come from adherence to the existing system of financing and delivery of care. 1 Vujicic M. Our dental care system is stuck: and here is what to do about it. JADA. 2018; 149: 167-169 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (34) Google Scholar He identified 4 actions for change: address the dental coverage gap; define and systematically measure oral health; tie reimbursement, partly, to outcomes; and reform the care delivery model. Dr. Shirtcliff is the president, RMS Consulting, Redmond, OR. Dr. Milgrom is an emeritus professor of oral health sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.