title: The Hispanic and Latino dentist workforce in the United States.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this paper is to describe the Hispanic/Latino (H/L) dentist workforce, their general practice patterns, and their contributions to oral health care for H/L and underserved patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A national sample survey of underrepresented minority dentists was conducted in 2012 and received a 35.4 percent response rate for self-reported H/L dentists. Data were weighted for selection and response bias to be nationally representative. A workforce profile of H/L dentists was created using descriptive and multivariable statistics and published data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among all H/L dentists (weighted n = 5,748), 31.9 percent self-identify their origin as Mexican, 13.4 percent as Puerto Rican, 13.0 percent as Cuban, and 41.7 percent as another H/L group. The largest share of H/L dentists are male, married, and have children under age 18. Fifty percent of H/L dentists are foreign-born and 25 percent are foreign-trained. H/L dentists report higher than average educational debt, with those completing International Dentist Programs reporting the highest debt load. Sixty-nine percent of clinically active H/L dentists own their own practices, and 85 percent speak Spanish in their practice. Among clinical H/L dentists, 7 percent work in safety-net settings, 40 percent primarily treat underserved populations, and, on average, 42 percent of their patient population is H/L.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  H/L dental providers are underrepresented in the dentist population, and those that are in practice shoulder a disproportionate share of dental care for minority and underserved communities. Improving the workforce diversity of dental providers is a critical part of strategy to address the high burden of dental disease in the H/L population.
authors.affiliation: Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, Healthforce Center, School of Dentistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wides
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Calvo
authors.affiliation: Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center and Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Health Center, Department of Dentistry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gates
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003815:Dentists / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D008875:Middle Aged; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States
keywords: Hispanic/Latino; dentists' practice patterns; health workforce; survey research