June is Pride Month! Oral Health is a critical aspect of an individual’s overall mental and physical health. Regular access to care can help prevent long-term physical and mental health issues. Regrettably, the individuals most affected by barriers in receiving oral health care are marginalized groups including but not limited to, people in the LGBTQIA+ community, Black Americans, people of color, and indigenous individuals.
The main obstacle that is faced by these individuals is discrimination and mistreatment. These negative experiences are endured to create a decreased quality of care and lower the likely hood of these individuals seeking care. This generates a deep-rooted fear and anxiety in relation to dental treatment. The American Dental Association even recognizes the need for further study into the access and quality of care of individuals of the LGBTQIA+ community. Advocates within dental associations throughout the United States, suggest that to increase the likelihood of these individuals seeking care, offices must create an underlying tone of acceptance in their office. Some of the proposed routes would be making paperwork gender inclusive, referring to the patient with their chosen name/correct pronouns, and showing support for the community through visible representation.
DLN’s DEI committee has pledged to move forward with creating a more inclusive environment and is in the process of updating our application to include preferred names and pronouns.
