The LGBTQIA+ Dental Experience
A best practice of care uses a whole-person approach so that every patient has the best possible experience—and dental care is no exception. Oral health professionals should implement this approach which includes an appreciation of the lived experience of each patient.
We know that LGBTQIA+ people experience disparate oral health outcomes because of discrimination, stigmatization, and historical exclusion from healthcare services. Because of this, they often encounter inequitable oral healthcare and poorer overall health and well-being.
NEW: Improving Knowledge, Comfort, And Attitudes For LGBTQIA+ Clinical Care And Dental Education
The American Institute of Dental Public Health (AIDPH) surveyed oral health professionals to capture responses in three areas of interest: 1) How do oral health professionals acknowledge clinical, environmental, and social differences that affect dental care delivery for LGBTQIA+ people, 2) Do oral health professionals believe that sufficient educational and professional resources are available to support LGBTQIA+ oral health and wellbeing, and 3) How are dental education environments preparing current and future members of the oral health workforce to support LGBTQIA+ patients?
We are proud to raise our voices and take a pledge to value whole-person health and honor the lived experiences of the LGBTQIA+ community through our work.
Will you join us? Sign the Pledge as an individual or organization! Want to share your commitment with your network? Download this Pledge graphic to post on social media or send to your colleagues! This small step can bring awareness to LGBTQIA+ oral health and grow our network of oral health equity champions.
The LGBTQIA+ Learning Collaborative works to inform the broader oral health community about opportunities to support LGBTQIA+ health equity. Focuses include educating oral health providers and professionals about the unique needs of this community, partnering and engaging in national LGBTQIA+ initiatives, and supporting equity-aligned policy and advocacy.
Initiatives will be created through group discussion and consensus-building, informed by community needs. This learning collaborative is open to all interested in supporting LGBTQIA+ issues, including those who consider themselves “allies” of this community. Register for the next meeting on July 27, 2023 at 2pm CT.
In 2022, we hosted the very first LGBTQIA+ Oral Health Week with the help of our amazing partners! This week was an opportunity to bring awareness of LGBTQIA+ people and their oral health to the broader dental and public health communities, create community support, and offer resources, educational materials, and advocacy opportunities. Each day featured a different theme with related activities to elevate community voices.