Honoring Heritage, Building Futures: Creating Pathways Into Dentistry for Indigenous Communities

Honoring Heritage, Building Futures: Creating Pathways Into Dentistry for Indigenous Communities is organized by American Dental Education Association (ADEA) and will be held from Nov 07, 2024 - Nov 07, 2027.

Start Date: Nov 07, 2024
End Date: Nov 07, 2027

Description:
This session will highlight the urgent need for more Indigenous dentists. We will explore the historical relationship between Indigenous communities, the health care system and dentistry, and how this impacts oral health in these communities today. Additionally, we will discuss the challenges Indigenous students face while pursuing dental education and explore strategies for developing partnerships to support their success. By increasing Indigenous representation in the dental profession, we aim to address oral health disparities that disproportionately affect these communities. This presentation will also showcase current initiatives and resources available to Indigenous students.

Learning Objectives: 

• Recognize how colonialism has impacted oral health standards for Indigenous community.
• Identify challenges and barriers Indigenous students face while pursuing a career in dentistry.
• Identify ways to foster collaboration and build pathways into dentistry for Indigenous students.
• Understand current statistics on Indigenous representation in dentistry.