Practice styles and opportunities in periodontics.

A survey of the 3,048 Active and Affiliate members of the American Academy of Periodontology was conducted by the Task Force on Manpower of the Academy to elicit information concerning practice styles and perceived opportunities for practice. Responses from 1,580 periodontists are presented in tables which include data on general demographics of periodontists, expected age at which partial and full retirement will take place, forms of practice, weeks per year and hours per week spent in practice, number of patient visits per year, number of practice locations, years in present community, population of present community, average distance traveled by patients in the periodontal practice, numbers of dentists referring to the practice, weeks waiting time to examine new patients and to begin new treatment series, patient load, preferences regarding weeks of advance booking, perceptions regarding the supply of periodontal services in the respondent's local area as well as in other areas known to the respondent, and factors which influence selection of a practice location. Data presented were collected between November of 1978 and April, 1979.