Stronger together. Diverse dentists weigh in on racism and its impact on oral health in our communities.

OBJECTIVES: 1) To detail how racism and its intersection with the social determinants of health affect the oral health of Blacks or African Americans (B/AA), Hispanics or LatinX (H/L), and American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) as well as their ability to thrive and succeed in dental academic and professional settings; 2) to describe how the Diverse Dental Society is addressing the oral health of these ethnic/racial populations METHODS: The processes in which 1) structural (systemic) and cultural racism operate in the living and working environments of B/AA, H//L, and AI/AN to impact oral health outcomes and 2) B/AA, HL, and AI/AN oral health organizational leaders are collectively addressing the oral health effects of racism are examined RESULTS: Structural racism and cultural racism and their intersection with the social determinants of health adversely affect the oral health of B/AA, H/L, and AI/AN as well as their ability to thrive and succeed in dental academic and professional settings. CONCLUSIONS: The leaders of the Hispanic Dental Association, National Dental Association, and the Society of American Indian Dentists realize that it will take collective action under the auspices of the Diverse Dental Society to synergize their organizations' individual efforts to create systemic change to address racial and health inequities and improve oral health outcomes.

Postbaccalaureate and graduate applicants to dental school: An analysis of holistic review.

Although they are valued for their perceived maturity, resiliency, and diverse insight into dentistry, postbaccalaureate and graduate (PBGR) applicants face significant challenges in the admissions process. This study looks at how PBGR applicants are evaluated during the selection process at a US dental school. An analysis of metrics associated with PBGR applicants was performed, focusing on the demographic makeup, academic performance, and total experience hours compared to traditional applicants. Our results suggest that PBGR applicants who are successful in their postbaccalaureate/graduate course of study are also more likely to be admitted if they have a history of strong undergraduate performance. Our results also suggest that PBGR applicants with high self-disclosed employment hours are strongly considered. Taken together, these results suggest that holistic review has helped PBGR applicants in the admissions process but that further adjustments need to be implemented.

Unintended Demographic Bias in GPA/DAT-Based Pre-Admission Screening: An Argument for Holistic Admissions in Dental Schools.

Screening of applicants for admission to dental school often relies on metrics such as overall undergraduate grade point average (oGPA) and Dental Admission Test (DAT) scores to identify desirable prospective students. The aim of this study was to assess unintended selection bias that may be overlooked or mitigated with holistic review and the influence of metrics at one U.S. dental school. Descriptive range analysis of oGPA and science GPA (sGPA), DAT scores, and total experience hours was performed for the 2017-18 application cycle for all applicants, those who self-identified as underrepresented minorities (URM), non-traditional applicants (with postbaccalaureate or master's coursework), and socioeconomically disadvantaged (SED) applicants reporting low parental employment-occupation scores. The results showed that, in screening this school's applicant pool, metrics-based candidate selection would favor those candidates in the 80th percentile of GPA and DAT Academic Average (AA) scores. Unless mitigated by other screening factors, reliance on these metrics tended to favor majority, traditional, and non-URM SED applicants. These findings suggested that the new admitted class would likely have fewer dental experience and employment hours than in the overall applicant pool. Interestingly, more non-traditional, SED, and URM applicants could be considered if higher general employment and dental experience hours had more impact in the screening process. These results illustrate the importance of deliberately considering non-cognitive metrics and characteristics to admit a more diverse student body.

Head Start Oral Health Assessment.

PURPOSE: A Head Start program located in Paterson, New Jersey considered establishing a school-based dental clinic to address unmet oral health needs such as access to care and the need for restorative treatment. The purpose of this study was to establish the oral health status of Head Start children, their treatment needs, and parents' interest and willingness to utilize a school-based dental clinic. DESCRIPTION: School-based dental care has been used to address access to care issues, particularly among children who live in underserved areas. A 21 item survey was used to correlate the results of an oral exam performed on the Head Start children and the parents' preferences, beliefs and access patterns. Fisher's exact test and Chi squared test were used to study the association among variable with significance levels set at 0.05. Assessment The oral exam revealed a high caries rate amongst all of the children. Parental responses indicated strong support for the establishment of a school-based clinic and identified the need for further parental education. Having a regular source of care was found to be unrelated to treatment needs. CONCLUSION: Further education of the parents regarding the child's oral health is critical to the success and viability of this school-based clinic.