Caries, change and the dental profession

Major changes in the epidemiology and management of dental caries will affect organizational aspects of care provided by general dental practitioners (GDPs). Caries are now far less common, and research is challenging long-held beliefs around their diagnosis and treatment. A move to preventive, evidence-based care will reduce intervention and avoid over-treatment. Dentists may see this as devaluing traditional restorative skills, so established practice must be questioned sensitively. As such, a move would mean less intervention and avoid over-treatment for current users, who are usually in high socioeconomic groups and at risk of over-treatment. it would allow resources to be redicrected to people in deprived groups, who are more likely to have oral disease. Primary care organizations should ensure that satisfying patient desire does not happen at the expense of workforce allocation to perform basic care. They could also support models of care that embrace the current evidence base.