Underrepresented Minority Dentists: Quantifying Their Numbers and Characterizing the Communities They Serve

Authors: Elizabeth Mertz, PhD | Cynthia Wides, MA | Aubri Kottek, MPH | Jean Marie Calvo, DDS, MPH | Paul Gates, DDS, MBA

Topics: Diversity, Oral Health

Research Center: Oral Health Workforce Research Center

March 24, 2017

Despite initiatives at the local, state, and federal levels, the underrepresentation of Blacks, Hispanic/Latinos (H/L), and American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) among dentists persists. Improving workforce diversity promotes social justice and also increases access, health equity, and health care quality, particularly for minority populations.

This article quantifies the shortage of underrepresented minority (URM) dentists and their contributions to health equity by examining practice patterns in relation to characteristics of the communities they serve.

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