The American Institute of Dental Public Health brings awareness to LGBTQIA+ community challenges and reaffirms its commitment to providing a safe and welcoming environment for all patients through LGBTQIA+ Oral Health Week Oct. 20-24. The theme for 2025 is “Pride in Knowledge: Transforming LGBTQIA+ Oral Health Through Education.”
Studies have shown that LGBTQIA+ individuals are less likely to have access to dental care, often due to concerns about discrimination or a lack of support from health care providers. To help address these disparities, dentists across California can participate in various educational and outreach activities during LGBTQIA+ Oral Health Week. This year, CDA is sponsoring Monday’s theme: “Laying the Foundation: LGBTQIA+ Inclusivity in Dental Care and Education.”
Dental professionals can sign the LGBTQIA+ pledge
At the heart of AIDPH’s initiative is the LGBTQIA+ pledge. The pledge calls on dental professionals to commit to providing equitable, culturally sensitive and affirming care to LGBTQIA+ patients. By signing the pledge, dentists promise to create an inclusive atmosphere in their practices.
CDA’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging policy reaffirms its commitment to combating barriers that permeate the health care system and other parts of society and lead to poor health outcomes for patients. CDA has signed the LGBTQIA+ pledge to support the shared goal of providing equal and affirming care.
LGBTQIA+ resources for dentists and practice teams
Creating a welcoming and safe place for LGBTQIA+ patients begins with education and training. Here are some reputable resources to help you better serve your LGBTQIA+ patients.
- AIDPH and CDA developed a printable checklist, Creating an LGBTQIA+ Inclusive Environment, to guide practices in fostering inclusivity.
- CDA members can access a Confidential Health History form, available in English and Spanish, and an inclusive New Patient Information Collection guide that provides a comprehensive report of a patient’s health history.
- California Department of Public Health’s LGBTQ+ Health page provides a toolkit, testing posters and flyers and other resources on health issues that impact LGBTQ+ populations most often.
- The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research completed a policy brief to review gaps in health care access and health insurance among LGBT populations in California.
- National Institutes of Health shares a cross-sectional study that reports, among other findings, that 43% of LGBTQ+ patients reported feeling uncomfortable going to health care appointments.
- The CareQuest Institute for Oral Health report “Oral Health and the LGBTQ+ Community: A Snapshot of Disparities and Discrimination” provides research specific to disparity of care. The nonprofit also offers a course.
- Two universities offer courses and resources on LGBTQ+ communities and oral health care:
- University of Minnesota: a six-hour online course on providing care to LGBTQ+ youth and young adults.
- University of Pennsylvania: a resource guide to advance effective communication, cultural competence and patient-and-family centered care for the LGBTQ+ community.
As California dentists come together to participate in LGBTQIA+ Oral Health Week and commit to the AIPDH’s LGBTQIA+ pledge, they are taking a significant step toward reducing barriers and ensuring that dental care is accessible, welcoming and safe for everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.