Dentistry delivers a diverse collection of services. But does the industry\u2019s diversity of care solutions match the diverse cultural landscape?<\/p>\n
That\u2019s a good question. And it\u2019s one gaining traction from industry thought-leaders especially as relates to some of the more observable social, cultural, and racial disparities in dentistry.<\/p>\n
A \u201cwelcome mat\u201d approach has been the norm for the majority of dental practices. Regardless of socio-economic status, race, or ethnicity – treatment is available.<\/p>\n
The limit to such availability would be on the shoulders of those who (for personal reasons) would opt out of treatment.<\/p>\n
Strides have been made from the halls of dental education to dental technology innovators and of course to the boots-on-the-ground local dental practice. Progress is underway but data reveals the door to dentistry must swing much wider.<\/p>\n
The following information is sourced from the American Dental Association\u2019s (ADA) Health Policy Institute. Thought leaders have used this revealing data as a reference point for much of the discussion revolving around racial disparity in dentistry.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s gain some perspective by briefly summarizing their research across four categories.<\/p>\n
This category of dental visit percentages includes children, adults, and seniors. And it encompasses those in each who are White, Asian, Hispanic, and Black.<\/p>\n
Here are the ADA\u2019s key discoveries:<\/p>\n
View this category\u2019s full percentage graphs here<\/a>.<\/p>\n The same percentage groupings and race identifiers apply here (children\/adults\/seniors and White\/Asian\/Hispanic\/Black).<\/p>\n The ADA\u2019s findings indicate the following:<\/p>\n Take a look at the full percentage data for this category here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s shift from care and cost to dental education and the dental workforce.<\/p>\n Date range and tracking varies here. Race identifiers include White, Asian, Hispanic, Black, and Other.<\/p>\n The ADA summarizes their findings as follows:<\/p>\n Get a thorough overview of this category here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Their research here also encompasses the previously mentioned race identifiers.<\/p>\n The ADA found the following to be true of the dental workforce:<\/p>\n Explore a more in-depth overview of their related findings here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Diversity is certainly the goal. And it\u2019s achieved by integrating a network of strategies.<\/p>\n The strategies are an intentional step towards helping eliminate the unintended gaps between our diverse population and available dental care.<\/p>\n A thorough analysis of the relative state of the industry was published by Dental Products Report. A summary of their insights begins to address some core strategies you can implement to show solidarity for dental inclusivity.<\/p>\n Again, dentistry desires to be an open-door healthcare provider. But as earlier stated, people, regardless of race, ethnicity, or status, must take advantage of it.<\/p>\n Dialed-in clinicians are focused on how they can make it more comfortable for everyone to obtain care. It\u2019s noted that this open-arms approach begins at the dental education level.<\/p>\n For example, treatment for those with \u201cphysical and intellectual disabilities\u201d are a worthy focus. Even so, dentistry, according to Steve Perlman, DDS and clinical professor of pediatric dentistry at Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine in Massachusetts,<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026Dentistry is the most unmet health care need for this patient population; however, it is important to consider the context of the problem,\u201d [5]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n Resources are available to the help you treat special needs patients. Starting with education this particular care gap can also be bridged with certain treatment protocols and standards.<\/p>\n This change isn\u2019t about message content as much as it\u2019s about \u201cthe methods to deliver\u201d the message. Population changes, technology innovations, and enhanced techniques are helping drive the evolution.<\/p>\n Consider marketing communication<\/strong><\/p>\n Melissa Turner, BASDH, RDHEP, EFDA, chief hygiene officer for Cellerant Consulting Group, observes,<\/p>\n \u201cWith marketing and patient communication, we are not going to have to be intentional about the change in the message; it\u2019s going to happen naturally. The dental practice owner will need to jump on board or be left behind,\u2026<\/p>\n Patients are a diverse population, and patients\u2019 perception of their role in the dental relationship has changed\u2026they want to be treated like a consumer.\u201d [6]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n A more inclusive communication mode will help shift the perception about patients. It moves from noted \u201cdifferences\u201d to being present for them regardless of those \u201cdifferences.\u201d<\/p>\n In essence, think outside-the-box in your marketing strategies<\/a>. COVID-19 upended traditional thinking about how you approach the population.<\/p>\n Our own Director of Marketing, David Means, encourages –<\/p>\n \u201dMany people lost their job during the pandemic, and with it, their dental benefits,\u2026but they still need dental care\u2026it\u2019s crucial that communications let patients know you can still take care of them.<\/p>\n Talk to that part of your audience that doesn\u2019t have insurance<\/a> and tell them, \u2018Hey, I can still cost-effectively treat you,\u2019\u2026some practices could do what\u2019s called a membership plan<\/a>, giving members discounted rates on services.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t let it be the cookie-cutter thing that everyone else says,\u2026the dental experience is different than it was before COVID-19. As patients return to the practice, some might still be fearful, and it is critical to address those patients\u2019 concerns in your communication with them.<\/p>\n Part of it is communicating what the new experience is going to be when they come to see you and allaying their safety concerns. Tell them about everything you are doing to keep them healthy,\u201d [7]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n According to Dental Products Report other more inclusive shifts could include\u2026<\/p>\n And\u2026<\/p>\n However you adapt to the call for diversity you\u2019ll need to rely on those tools that align with a patient-facing mindset. After all, it\u2019s each unique patient that\u2019s on the receiving end of your care – and isn\u2019t that the ultimate outcome?<\/p>\n From contactless options to cloud-based solutions Planet DDS is a leading technology provider among emerging and sustained dental trends now and in the future.<\/p>\n Planet DDS\u2019s Denticon is the proven cloud-based Dental Practice Management Software<\/a> in today\u2019s market among solo private practices, private group practices, and top DSOs.<\/p>\n Contact us for more information<\/a> about how Denticon can streamline your workflow systems and operational tasks that can help you reach and treat a more diverse population.<\/p>\n [1]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/sup>https:\/\/www.ada.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n [2]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/sup>https:\/\/www.ada.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n [3]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/sup>https:\/\/www.ada.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n [4]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/sup>https:\/\/www.ada.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n [5]<\/sup><\/a> https:\/\/www.dentalproductsreport.com\/view\/the-diversification-of-dentistry-brings-opportunity<\/a><\/p>\n [6]<\/sup><\/a> https:\/\/www.dentalproductsreport.com\/view\/the-diversification-of-dentistry-brings-opportunity<\/a><\/p>\n [7]<\/sup><\/a> https:\/\/www.dentalproductsreport.com\/view\/the-diversification-of-dentistry-brings-opportunity<\/a><\/p>\n [8]<\/sup><\/a> https:\/\/www.dentalproductsreport.com\/view\/the-diversification-of-dentistry-brings-opportunity<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dentistry delivers a diverse collection of services. But does the industry\u2019s diversity of care solutions match the diverse cultural landscape? That\u2019s a good question. And it\u2019s one gaining traction from…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5225,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[138],"tags":[573,574,27,575,13,576,577,578,579,501,580,147,581],"class_list":["post-5224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trends","tag-cost-barriers","tag-dental-patients","tag-dental-practice","tag-dental-students","tag-dentistry","tag-disabilities","tag-disparities","tag-diversity","tag-ethnicity","tag-membership-plan","tag-minorities","tag-practice-management","tag-race"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5224"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5224\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5225"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}2-U.S. Dental Care Cost Barriers by Race and Ethnicity<\/h3>\n
\n
3-U.S. Racial and Ethnic Mix of Dental Students<\/h3>\n
\n
4-U.S. Racial and Ethnic Mix of the Dentist Workforce<\/h3>\n
\n
So, where do we go from here?<\/h2>\n
Treat \u201cpopulations with unmet needs\u201d<\/h3>\n
\n
Shift the communication mode and narrative<\/h3>\n
\n
\n
\n
Diversify around forward-thinking technology<\/h2>\n