Annaliese Cothron, DHSc, MS, CPH: No financial relationships to disclose
Description: Oral health professionals should implement whole-person health as part of best practice care which includes considering the lived experience of each patient. LGBTQIA+ people experience disparate oral health outcomes through discrimination, stigmatization, and historical exclusion from healthcare services. As a result, LGBTQIA+ people encounter inequitable oral healthcare and poorer overall health and wellbeing. The American Institute of Dental Public Health (AIDPH) invests in three key communities of focus: veterans, people living in rural areas, and LGBTQIA+ people - along with the intersection of those communities (e.g., LGBTQIA+ veterans). In 2022, AIDPH launched two surveys assessing LGBTQIA+ oral health: 1) a survey of oral health professionals evaluating the knowledge, awareness, and comfort levels of providing care to LGBTQIA+ people and 2) a survey of LGBTQIA+ veterans exploring experiences of dental care. The results indicated that oral health professionals both need and desire additional resources and training to support LGBTQIA+ people. Trauma-informed approaches to dental care should be prioritized alongside inclusive care environments. This roundtable will focus on understanding and applying insights from our research while discussing implications from other key initiatives including LGBTQIA+ oral health week and the LGBTQIA+ learning collaborative. Importantly, this session will explore intersecting inequities of LGBTQIA+ people who are veterans and/or living in rural areas. Roundtable participants will receive resources on creating inclusive and affirming care while sharing strategies for improving the oral health and wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ people as means of achieving optimal whole-person health.
Source of Funding:: The American Institute of Dental Public Health
