Embracing Diversity in the Dental Industry

Diversity is more than a buzzword, in dentistry or any other industry. Diversity is a powerful tool for building better client communication, better quality of care, and a more successful practice. By embracing diversity in the dental industry, oral healthcare providers can enhance every aspect of both their services and the business of owning a dental practice, with long-term benefits steadily building for years to come. 

What is Diversity in Dentistry

For many of us “diversity” may mean racial diversity, and while that is an important aspect of diversity in dentistry it is far from the only consideration. Diversity in your practice can take a variety of forms, including the following:

• Gender Diversity: Your practice may include a mix of women, men, and nonbinary patients, requiring you and your staff to understand and respond appropriately. 
• Age or Generational Diversity: What is the age range of your patient pool? Particularly in a general or family practice, you may find yourself treating patients of all ages from childhood to their golden years. 
• Racial Diversity: A longtime measure of diversity in the United States, having patients of various racial backgrounds is a common feature in many urban and suburban practices. 
• Ethnic Diversity: Distinct from racial diversity, ethnic diversity in dentistry means treating patients of different cultural backgrounds, from different nations, or who speak different languages.
• Neurodiversity: Autism awareness is a growing part of every healthcare practice, dentistry included. Patients with autism may be of any age or background and may have unique needs of their own.
• Physical Ability: Patients with mobility issues, patients who are vision-impaired or hearing-impaired, or patients with other disabilities may come to your practice for their dental care.

There are other aspects to diversity–it’s a complex question–but by understanding that diversity in dentistry is multifaceted and intersectional, you can better understand how embracing diversity in dentistry applies to your practice. 

Why is Diversity Important for Dental Practitioners?

Diversity matters and it’s more than just a “feel good” consideration. By including and embracing diversity in all aspects of your practice, you may be able to provide better a better quality of care by promoting improved patient-provider communication, ensuring that your practice and your office are accessible and friendly to all patients, and making sure patients connect with you and with the services you offer. All of this, in turn, leads to more sustainable and successful practice and improved patient outcomes, which are critical goals for any dental career. 

Implementing Diversity in Your Dental Practice

As with many aspects of creating a successful practice, implementing diversity is not accomplished overnight or in one fell swoop. Instead, implementing diversity in your dental practice is a process, involving a number of decisions made consistently. This may involve ensuring that your practice is physically accessible to the differently abled, that you and your staff have the ability to communicate with patients who have different cultural, personal, or linguistic needs, or that your marketing and outreach are connecting with different communities around you. It also involves supporting dental professionals of diverse backgrounds on every level of the industry and at every stage of their careers. 

Your success in embracing diversity in the dental industry is part of your practice’s overall success–something DentaMarketing understands. Whether you’re just starting out or an established practice, we’re here to provide the marketing solutions you need to reach the patients you want, expand and grow your practice, and ensure that you’re around for the long haul. It’s time to take things to the next level and embrace everything that makes a practice work, so get in touch with us today for a free consultation.