The literature is void of, and there is no clear documentation of, the direction that black dentistry can use as a road map to its future in the coming years. Black dental health professionals and the black community face the most uncertain and challenging decade in its history. Although both parties (the dentist and the community) will face different types of adversities, they will have compounding implications for both. Certainly a reduction in dental school enrollment, the impact of fluoridation, a perceived lack of busyness, capitation, competition, loss of independence, as well as other adversities will affect black and other minority dentists. Increasing unemployment in the black community, pro-competition in health care, cutback in established health programs that have resulted in the progressive reversal and destruction of years of building federal priorities and programs, a lack of dental insurance, increased share of insurance cost with the option to reduce benefits, along with others are all factors that will impact the black community. Dental administrators, planners and black health professionals; whether their responsibilities are in education, public health dentistry, professional planning organizations or in the practice of dentistry, have historically expressed concern about the lack of data regarding dentistry from a minority perspective. A tested mechanism for the evaluation of a subject of this kind is a National Workshop. The University of Michigan, School of Dentistry, has agreed to sponsor a National Workshop, """"""""Black Dentistry in the 21st Century"""""""", to be held at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, M.I., June 19-25, 1991. The Workshop will bring together experts in black/minority dentistry from around the country to deliberate and determine what is fact and what is opinion and where research, patient care and dental education in black/minority dentistry should be directed in the future. The deliberations of workshop sections will be preceded by a thorough review of the pertinent literature for the past fifteen years. The deliberations will be based on a series of questions to be developed by the faculty of the workshop from the review of literature and from pooling of their thoughts and ideas about where black/minority dentistry must be directed for the future. The deliberations of the sections of the workshop will be presented, debated and conclusions drawn at the plenary sessions. It is expected that the publication will serve as a reference source of the factual and scientifically support research in this area, that will assist individuals as they pursue further knowledge through research regarding Black involvement in receipt and provision of dental care.
