Advancing Dentistry Through Respectful Inclusion: A Focus on Racial Inequities

Abstract

Dentistry has faced, and continues to face, challenges in expanding its ranks to include diverse, especially minoritized, people. American Indian/Alaska Native, Hispanic, and Black representation, for example, has not grown significantly in dentistry. Although dental schools have an accreditation standard to be humanistic environments, it is not clear that dental schools have climates that are functionally inclusive of minoritized people-whether for patients, the student body, staff members, faculty members or leadership. For the profession to advance oral health equity, intentional efforts are needed in education and across the full dental workforce.

Keywords: Climate; Dentistry; Faculty; Health equity; Inclusion; Racism; Students; Workforce.