Dental education summits: the challenges ahead.
BACKGROUND: The authors present the major findings from ADA-sponsored education summit meetings in 2001 and 2002 that addressed the issues of dental education costs, dental student debt levels at graduation and budgeted unfilled dental school faculty positions. OVERVIEW: The meetings included representation from the ADA, the American Dental Education Association, the American Student Dental Association, the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and ADA-recognized dental specialty organizations. National experts on the three issue areas made formal presentations. State funds for dental education declined 22 percent from 1991 to 1998, after adjusting for inflation. Reductions in state budgets for 2002 and 2003 suggest further declines in state support. To cope with declining revenues, schools increased student tuition and fees 10 percent annually from 1991 to 1998, contributing to increasing levels of student educational debt, which in 2000 averaged dollar 87,600. Dental schools also have decreased their investment in physical plant and faculty numbers. Annual faculty salaries have increased 3 percent, while practitioner income has increased 7 percent. Academic income disparities with private practice have contributed to dental schools having almost 400 unfilled faculty positions. CONCLUSIONS AND PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Dental education is facing severe financial challenges that likely will increase. While there are no easy solutions, schools must make greater efforts to reduce operating expenses and seek more state and federal support for dental education. The ADA approved the summit reports, and the ADA House of Delegates adopted six resolutions that support the summits' recommendations.