Oral Health, U.S. 2002 Annual Report
Section 16: DENTAL CARE WORKFORCE/
COST OF DENTAL CARE/
ACCESSIBILITY OF DENTAL CARE
| 16.6 |
Minority representation among dentists |
A number of minority groups, including blacks and Hispanics, have historically been underrepresented in the dental professions. A 1992 report indicated that most female and minority dentists are under 40 years of age. In this age range about 20% of dentists were female, about 4.5% were black, 9.7% were Hispanic, and about 20% were Asian (Feinberg, 1992).
Areas of concern related to underrepresented minorities in the dental profession include negative racial/gender stereotypes, lack of opportunities for advancement, difficulties in startup practice arrangements, and absence of a meaningful mentoring and network system (Sinkford, 1992).
SOURCE OF DATA
Data shown here were obtained from the American Dental Association, Survey Center, 1997 report titled Distribution of Dentists in the United States by Region and State. These data are not available for 1998.
Most of the dentists surveyed were white. The percentages of black (2.0%) and Hispanic (3.5%) dentists were substantially below the representation of these groups in the general population. The percentage of Hispanics was determined independently of racial designations (Table 16.6.1).
Table 16.6.1. Race/ethnicity make-up of dentists in the United States (as summarized by the ADA between 1995 and 1997).
This table lists the percentage and number of dentists by
racial/ethnic groups with the racial/ethnic groups listed in the left bar.
|
Race/Ethnicity |
Percentage of Dentists (N) |
|---|
|
White |
91.0% (116,740) |
|---|
|
Asian or Pacific Islander |
5.8% (7,484) |
|---|
|
Black |
2.0% (2,505) |
|---|
|
American Indian, Aleut, or Eskimo |
0.2% (210) |
|---|
|
Other |
1.0% (1,284) |
|---|
|
Total |
100% (128,223) |
|---|
|
Hispanic |
3.5% (3,486) |
|---|
Source: American Dental Association (ADA), Survey Center. Distribution of Dentists in the United States by Region and State. 1997. Materials used with permission of the American Dental Association.
REFERENCES
American Dental Association (ADA), Survey Center. Distribution of Dentists in the United States by Region and State. 1997.
Feinberg E. The changing face of dentistry. Texas Dental Journal 1992;25–27.
Sinkford JC. Issues and challenges facing the minority woman dentist. J Dent Educ
1992:56;561–565.
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