Predental Pathway Programs Partner to Improve Diversity in Dentistry

Predental Pathway Programs Partner to Improve Diversity in Dentistry

Year-old effort to increase number of diverse dental professionals receives national award.

Thirty students from around the United States traveled to the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine to take part in the university’s Destination Dental School and Native American Pre-Dental Student Gateway Program, initiatives that aim to remove barriers to careers in dentistry for underrepresented undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students.

Faculty, staff and students in joint Destination Dental School and Native American Pre- Dental Student Gateway Program.

The two UB programs, which previously operated separately, partnered this summer to combine their virtual and in-person events and activities. The goal isto provide participants with an understanding of the day-to-day life of a dentist and dental student, as well as help strengthen their dental school applications and develop their skills as researchers.

The Destination Dental School program—founded in 2021 by UB School of Dental Medicine alumna Arian Johnson, D.D.S., and organized by the school’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion—welcomed its second cohort of 22 students. The cohort was joined by eight students in the Native American Pre- Dental Student Gateway Program, which was launched in 2018 through a partnership between the school and the Seneca Nation Health System.

Participants enrolled from 17 U.S. states and ranged from 19 to 45 years old.

In August, UB Dental was notified that its Destination Dental School had been named a recipient of INSIGHT into Diversity Magazine’s 2022 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award. INSIGHT into Diversity, the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education, annually honors colleges and universities that encourage and support students from underrepresented groups to enter careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. UB Dental is one of 79 educational institutions selected to receive this year’s award.

“The Destination Dental School and Native American Pre-Dental Student Gateway Program share the same goal: to increase diversity in the future dental workforce. We saw this shared purpose as a new opportunity for a partnership to ensure that disadvantaged and underrepresented graduates from both programs were equipped with the necessary tools to successfully enter dental school,” says Thikriat Al-Jewair, D.D.S., assistant dean of equity, diversity and inclusion in the UB School of Dental Medicine.

Students in joint Destination Dental School and Native American Pre-Dental Student Gateway Program make molds of their teeth in UB Dental preclinical simulation lab.

EXPANDING PREPARATION FOR DENTAL SCHOOL

Over the course of seven weeks throughout June and July, students participated in presentations that explored the various specialties within dental medicine and networking opportunities with local dentistry leaders, learned about the admissions process for dental school, and completed capstone research projects.

This year, the programs expanded dental school application assistance to include more extensive preparation for the Dental Admission Test (DAT). The students were provided DAT tutoring services and study resources, as well as mock admission interviews and resume reviews.

The programs also cover the cost of the DAT, and participants who apply to the UB School of Dental Medicine will receive an application fee waiver.

The programs culminated with a week of in-person activities that included an oral surgery boot camp; hands-on clinical simulations that taught tooth anatomy and the process for creating fillings and taking impressions; clinical specialty rotations where participants shadowed UB dental students; and tours of Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Students in the Native American Pre-Dental Student Gateway Program also toured facilities within the Seneca Nation Health System.

BUILDING PATHWAYS FOR UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS

Latino, African American and Native American people make up around 5%, 4% and 0.2% of dentists, respectively, despite representing a larger percentage of the U.S. population, according to the Department of Health and Human Services and the American Dental Association’s Health Policy Institute.

Pathway programs have proven to be an effective solution, increasing enrollment of underrepresented students in dental schools by 54%, according to a report by the Journal of the American Dental Association.

By increasing the enrollment of underrepresented students in dental schools, the programs will help address the shortage of dentists of color.

“Native American communities continue to grapple with historical traumas, including the harms caused by inadequate, culturally insensitive and abusive practices associated with boarding schools that were the primary source of oral healthcare for children forced away from their families and cut off from their culture. While these schools were shut down decades ago, this led to generations of mistrust in the healthcare system and still presents a hurdle to modern tribal and public health care systems,” says Joseph M. Salamon, D.D.S., director of the Native American Pre-Dental Student Gateway Program, clinical instructor in the UB School of Dental Medicine and dental services director for the Seneca Nation Health System.

Wendell Carmona, volunteer clinical assistant professor in the UB School of Dental Medicine and managing clinical director for Aspen Dental in Niagara Falls, is director of Destination Dental School.