Enriching the Scope of Cultural Perceptions: Integrating Diversity and Inclusion in Dental Hygiene Education

Diversity and inclusion continue to be a systemic issue among people of color within the educational system. Understanding the importance of diversity within specific educational programs is essential to promoting access to care, particularly given the increasing growth of minority populations in the US. The first Surgeon General’s Report on Oral Health in America in 2000 identifies that in the future, the primary method of reaching the underserved population will be through the education of racially and ethnically diverse oral healthcare professionals. Therefore, dental hygiene programs should select culturally competent students and develop pipeline programs to promote a diverse student population. Pipeline programs aid to support students of URM status by increasing their opportunity in advancing their careers. Cultural competency training is exceptional in aiding health care workers to provide the most pertinent care for minority groups. Although professional healthcare education programs endorse cultural competency education in their curriculum, data suggests further studies are needed to determine if students are successfully retaining and implementing cultural competency education into their clinical practice. Due to the barriers that hinder underrepresented students’ abilities to succeed in the educational setting, diversity and inclusion is essential in higher education. Pipeline programs within dental hygiene are insufficient compared to dental and medical schools who have increased the number of underrepresented students through pipeline program implementation. In order to produce dental hygiene clinicians that are equipped to reach a culturally diverse population, the experiences of students should be enhanced with clarity and emphasis on diversity and inclusion within their educational endeavors