The probable effects of Federal Trade Commission actions on dentistry and dental education

For the last several years the Federal Trade Commission has been actively involved in investigation and legal action within the market for dental services. The essence of FTC policy has been to promote competitive market forces in the dental care sector. This intervention has produced and will continue to produce several direct and indirect effects on dental education. By shaping the rules of the game for the dental services market and by influencing the income prospects for dental practice, the FTC's forays will alter the type of training and knowledge demanded by dental school applicants, the quality of the applicant pool, the mix of practice settings selected by newly graduated practitioners, the nature of school-based clinical practice, and the process and content of the dental school curriculum.