The May issue of the Journal of the California Dental Association covers community health centers to improve access to dental care for underserved populations, funding of these centers, the challenges and issues these facilities face.

The Community Health Center Dental Clinic
An introduction to this issue
Brian K. Shue, DDS

The Framework for Patient Care at California Community Health Center Dental Clinics
Community health centers in the United States improve access to dental care for underserved populations and individuals who live in underserved areas. There are 245 California health center sites that provide dental care. This article reviews the framework for patient care at California community health center dental clinics.
Brian Shue, DDS, and Huong Le, DDS

The Funding of Community Health Center Dental Programs in California
The financing of dental services in community health centers is a mystery to most dentists in private practice, and this lack of knowledge has resulted in misconceptions that hamper mutual support. This review seeks to explain and demystify how CHC dental clinics remain financially viable.
Irene V. Hilton, DDS, MPH

Environmental Drift in Health Center Dental Practice Management
This paper explores the challenges federally qualified health centers face in providing low-cost health services and meeting their primary mission of being available to all users regardless of their ability to pay.
Bob Russell, DDS, MPH

Issues Faced by Community Health Centers
Dental directors of federally qualified health centers face significant challenges in treating a large population with multiple dental needs and financial restrictions. These issues have no easily known remedies posing rapid resolutions: They are more like dilemmas having no final solution but requiring some innovative operational strategies.
Jane Grover, DDS, MPH

The Associate Editor/
Judgment
By Ruchi Nijjar, DDS

Impressions/

Letters to the Editor/
Continued Competency

Dr. Bob/
Picture-Perfect Pearlies
By Robert E. Horseman, DDS