Transgender patients can face obstacles when seeking dental care, but through education and communication, dentists and their teams can help make these patients feel accepted and comfortable.

“One of their main concerns is whether the provider and dental team will be accepting,” said Dr. Michael Farmer, who owns a dental practice in Charlotte, North Carolina, and graduated from dental school in 2008 and the American Dental Association Institute for Diversity in Leadership in 2019. “If they feel that they are going to be judged or talked about, they may avoid seeking care at all.”