The status of dental health in the American population has significantly improved during the past 15 years. The prevalence of dental diseases is similar in children when racial comparisons are made. However, the dental treatment needs are greater and much more severe in both black adults and black children. The most recent national dental survey included employed adults only. Therefore, true differences between races may be even more marked when jobless adults are included. This omission is especially significant for blacks, where unemployment rates are twice those of whites, and this subgroup has not been included in the most recent national survey.