The dental program of the Department of Public Health, City of Toronto, is over 75 years old. Recently, the department engaged in extensive community‐based planning, which culminated in the closing of forty‐eight school based clinics and the opening of eight community clinics. A geriatric dental program also was established. This paper will describe the data utilized, the analysis of which enabled the department to focus its efforts on those at high risk for dental disease. These groups included immigrants and institutionalized seniors. This analys is also enabled the department to locate its clinics in those areas of the city with greatest need. The community development model, quite unique to major reorganizations, is also described. It was this wide support that resulted in the unanimous approval by the city council of the reorganization and gave impetus to personnel changes resulting in the ability of staff to communicate in the major languages of a city where over 50 percent speak a language other than English or French. Copyright © 1991, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved

immigrants Epidemiology geriatric community based dental program reorganization

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