This peer-reviewed article in the Journal of Public Health Dentistry, co-authored by researchers from CareQuest Institute and the University of Colorado and Marquette University Schools of Dentistry, explores associations between dental distrust, dental fear and anxiety, and oral health outcomes in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) adults.
Key Findings
- About one in five AI/AN adults reported dental distrust and high levels of dental anxiety.
- Fewer AI/AN adults with increased dental distrust and anxiety had visited a dentist in the past year compared with adults with lower levels of distrust and anxiety.
- More AI/AN adults with increased dental distrust and anxiety reported poor health outcomes — including poor oral health, overall health, and mental/emotional health — compared to adults with less distrust and anxiety.
According to the National Institutes of Health, AI/AN populations have the highest burden of oral diseases among all racial and ethnic minority populations in the US. This study demonstrates that dental distrust and dental anxiety are important intervention targets to improve oral health in AI/AN communities.
Future work to understand dental provider trust and dental anxiety’s association with dental care utilization should include the concept of provider cultural humility as a potential mechanism.
Read the article in the Journal of Public Health Dentistry (open access)
You may also be interested in:
- American Indian and Alaska Native Communities Face a Disproportionate Burden of Oral Disease, a white paper ― a collaboration between CareQuest Institute and native-led organizations ― that explores oral health disparities in AI/AN communities, their causes, and possible solutions.
- American Indian and Alaska Native Oral Health: Challenges and Opportunities, a recorded webinar that features a panel of experts from native-led organizations sharing culturally and community-driven strategies to improve AI/AN oral health.
- Voices from the Field: Julie Seward on Advancing Oral Health in AI/AN Communities, a blog post in which the oral health programs manager for the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board discusses opportunities and solutions to improve AI/AN oral health.