Perceived trends in operative dentistry skills: a 10-year comparison.

In this study a random sample of 357 members of dental examiner boards in the United States was surveyed to determine the perceptions of candidate ability on examinations for dental licensure. A response rate of 82% was achieved. Data from this survey were compared to a similar survey conducted 10 years ago. Analysis and comparison of these two surveys indicate that candidate ability in operative dentistry has continued to decline as perceived by dental examiners in the United States over the past decade.