This thesis contains an investigation of the potential for increasing
dental productivity in Florida. This investigation of the
Florida dental care industry is conducted from a micro-economic-theoretical
perspective. It is performed under a methodological
framework that incorporates the estimation of a dental production
function for Florida using data on general practices from the ADA
1977 Survey of Dental Practice and employing the transcendental
logarithmic production function. As a complement to this estimation
a survey of the relevant literature and an examination of the
general characteristics of Florida dental practices are presented.
The general implication is that the productivity of Florida practices
could be increased and associated delivery costs could be
reduced by expanding the market for dental services, adding more
staff, and increasing the number of dentists per practice, as well
as by a more efficient use of dental personnel including auxiliaries
with expanded functions.