Assessing price sensitivity in dental education and implications on student diversity

Latino dentists in the U.S. Census from 1980 to 2019: Implications for dental care access

OBJECTIVES

This study describes the supply of Latino dentists in the United States from 1980 to 2019, as tabulated by the Census. The number of Latino dentists per 100,000 Latino population was compared to the number of non-Hispanic White (NHW) dentists per 100,000 NHW population. These four-decade comparisons were made for the entire country as well as the five states having the largest Latino populations.

METHODS

Data from the decennial census and the American Community Survey were used to identify the nationwide population, the number of dentists, and their respective Spanish-language abilities, stratified by race/ethnic group (Latinos and non-Hispanic Whites).

RESULTS

In 1980, there were only 18 Latino dentists for every 100,000 Latino population in the entire nation, compared to 70 NHW dentists per 100,000 NHW population. While there was an increase to 21 Latino dentists per 100,000 in 1990, the supply remained virtually the same over this almost 40-year period, ending back at 18 per 100,000 in 2019. In comparison, there were about four times as many non-Hispanic White dentists as Latino dentists. This national discrepancy was also reflected in the five states that were evaluated. Similarly, Latino dentists were far more likely to speak Spanish than NHW dentists at both the national and state levels.

CONCLUSIONS

The Latino dentist supply, already inadequate in 1980, has remained virtually unchanged over the past almost 40 years. The authors believe that this deficiency will have profound consequences, and recommend that initiatives be undertaken to increase the number of Latino dentists.

Factors that influenced students to matriculate at a northeastern dental school: A comparative study

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES

There is a robust body of research on which factors dental schools consider when selecting students for acceptance, but there is considerably less research regarding what factors dental applicants consider when selecting a particular program. The aim of this investigation was to better understand which factors most influenced students to matriculate at a particular dental school and how the value of these factors has changed over time.

METHODS

To answer this research question, an online survey was utilized to determine why students chose to attend Columbia University College of Dental Medicine (CUCDM). This survey was administered to students in the Class of 2023 and was compared to the responses of an identical survey that was administered to the Class of 2013. The response rate for the classes of 2013 and 2023 were 70.0% and 42.2%, respectively. Results from the Classes of 2013 and 2023 were analyzed using independent sample T-tests.

RESULTS

The Class of 2013 ranked academic reputation, location, and admissions into specialty programs as the three most important factors in their selection of a dental school. The Class of 2023 ranked tuition cost, perceived patient pool, and financial aid as their three most important factors.

CONCLUSION(S)

For dental schools to continue to successfully attract and enroll students, they must understand what motivates a student to matriculate in a specific dental program. One way to accomplish this is through the use of a survey.