Practice Management
Rebecca Renelus, DDS
Dental Resident
University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, California, United States
Elizabeth Mertz, PhD
University of California, San Francisco
Thomas Tanbonliong, DDS
Program Director
University of California, San Francsico
SAN FRANCISCO, California, United States
Purpose: The purpose of this study is evaluate and describe the current dental workforce trends in pediatric dentistry in regard to race and gender diversity and to assess the factors that have led to an increase in African American/Black females pursuing pediatric dentistry, more than other dental specialties.
Methods: The study consists of both qualitative and quantitative components. For the qualitative data, current African American/Black female pediatric dentists were contacted and interviewed regarding the factors that led them to pursue pediatric dentistry as well as the barriers they have faced along the way. Quantitative data from the ADA 2017 dental workforce study were used and analyzed to assess the current factors and odds ratio influencing one’s decision to pursue pediatric dentistry.
Results: The results of the study found that being an underrepresented minority was a strong predictor in choosing pediatric dentistry, specifically being an African American/Black female. The interviews revealed the importance and value of mentorship in aiding African American/Black females in overcoming various racial or gender situations.