A Scoping Review of Students’ and Providers’ Perceptions
In this article published in JDR Clinical & Translational Research, authors from CareQuest Institute and the Center for Justice in Public Health examined the available scientific literature about implicit bias held by dental/dental hygiene students, faculty, and dental professionals. Their objective was to determine how such bias may affect patient outcomes.
The authors write, “the examined studies suggest negative bias to be more prominent for individuals from racial and ethnic identities different from one’s own.” However, they caution that the available number of studies specific to implicit bias in oral health was limited and more studies are needed.
Additional Key Findings
- One study found a bias among dentists toward recommending tooth extraction for a Black patient and tooth-saving root canal treatment for a white patient, despite the level of tooth decay being identical for both patients.
- Another found that following a diagnosis for oral cancer, Black patients were significantly less likely to be recommended for surgery than white patients, regardless of cancer stage and socioeconomic status.
Implicit bias is defined as “a form of unintentional and automatic bias that affects judgment, decisions, and behaviors that is often driven by subconscious thoughts.” Implicit bias in the health care setting can contribute to disparities in health. Therefore, the authors note, workforce diversity and training to increase awareness of and reduce implicit bias are critical for students and providers of oral health care.
Read the article in JDR Clinical & Translational Research (open access).
You may also be interested in:
- Does Our Oral Health Care System Welcome Everyone?, a research report that examines factors that persist in creating barriers to equitable access to oral health care for all.
- Antiracism in Dental Public Health, a special issue of the Journal of Public Health Dentistry that explores antiracism through the lenses of science, education, policy, and practice.
- State of Oral Health Equity in America, a resource highlighting key findings and reports from previous annual surveys on the oral health of adults in the US.