Access and Care: Reports from Canadian Dental Education and Care Agencies

Representatives of faculties of dentistry and agencies working to improve the oral health of groups with restricted access to dental care were invited to address the access and care symposium held in Toronto in May 2004.They told of their clients' sometimes desperate needs in graphic terms. The agencies' response ranged from simple documentation of the need, to expression of frustration with current trends and the apparent indifference of policy makers, to the achievement of some success in arranging alternative models of care.The presenters consistently identified the need to change methods of financing dental education and both the financing and models of care delivery to meet the needs of those with restricted access to oral health care.