title: The American Indian and Alaska Native dentist workforce in the United States.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this article is to describe the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) dentist workforce, the general practice patterns of these providers, and their contributions to oral health care for AI/AN and underserved patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A national sample survey of underrepresented minority dentists was conducted in 2012 and received a 34 percent response rate for self-reported AI/AN dentists. Data were weighted for selection and response bias to be nationally representative. Descriptive and multivariable statistics were computed to provide a workforce profile. Comparisons to Census data and published information on dental students and dentists were used to examine practice patterns.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The AI/AN dentist workforce (weighted n = 442) is very diverse with 55 reported individual tribal affiliations. Tribal heritage was provided by 95.7 percent of AI/AN dentists (n = 423), and of these, 93.9 percent (n = 400) reported an affiliation with only one tribe. The largest share of AI/AN dentists were born in the United States (98.2 percent, n = 434), married (75.6 percent, n = 333), and had dependent children under age 18 (52.0 percent, n = 222). Only 0.9 percent (n = 4) of AI/AN dentists spoke a traditional AI/AN language in patient care, while 10.6 percent (n = 46) were raised on tribal land or reservation. Initial practice in the Indian Health Service was reported by 15.8 percent of AI/AN dentists while 16.2 percent report currently practicing in a safety-net setting, and 42.0 percent report working in a practice that primarily serves underserved patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AI/AN dentists provide a disproportionate share of care for AI/AN populations, yet the number of AI/AN dentists would need to increase 7.4-fold in order to meet population parity.
authors.affiliation: Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, Healthforce Center, School of Dentistry, University of California, San Francisco.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mertz
authors.affiliation: Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, Healthforce Center, School of Dentistry, University of California, San Francisco.
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wides
authors.affiliation: Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center and Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Health Center, Department of Dentistry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gates
mesh_terms: D000413:Alaska; D000072957:Alaska Natives / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003815:Dentists / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006303:Health Services, Indigenous; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D000078329:Workforce
keywords: Indians; North American; dentist's practice patterns; health workforce; survey research