Dentaltown October 2020 - 32

Diversity is
embedded in
our daily life: our
friends and family,
our neighbors,
our working team
members and our
patient base.
patient with kindness. (She actually was
excited to tell her neighbors about her first
experience with a female dentist!)
It's not surprising to find patients choosing doctors based on their own cultural
heritage or religious affi nity. Familiarity
brings comfort. Years ago, when I worked
as an associate in a group practice that had
many Jewish patients, a few rare patients
refused to see me because they expected to
see the owner because he was a member of
the same congregation they were.
In these types of situations, we can
seek to understand the reasons behind a
patient's refusal. Gender and age bias still
exist; for example, the stereotype of an older
white male as the treating doctor is still a
common expectation because patients don't
often envision a younger Asian woman
representing what "a dentist," or an oral
and maxillofacial surgeon, would look like.
However, stereotypes can be broken
through effective communication and
compassion. And when language barriers
exist, it's crucial to have developed a great
sense of nonverbal communication skills
by understanding the cultural differences.

32

Putting principles into practice
How can dental professionals develop
cultura l competenc y that ser ves a n
ever-changing diverse demographic? How
should we lead a diverse team and enhance
inclusion within our own patient base and
practice team members? Here are some of
my top recommendations:

Ask open-ended questions and
avoid assumptions or stereotypes.
Many times, when patients present
with ethnic names that are challenging to
pronounce, the best way to proceed is simply
to ask them how to pronounce their name.
If they have a preferred adopted American
name to go by, respect that. In doubt,
addressing the person formally as "Mr.,"
"Mrs." or "Miss,"or simply by asking how
they would like to be identified, can never
steer you wrong.
The woman I mentioned earlier with
a bindi between her eyebrows could be a
native of many different countries-India,
Pakistan, Nepal or Bangladesh, to name a
few-or a U.S.-born citizen of Southeast
Asian descent. One must not automatically
assume that she comes from India. Avoid
"you all look the same" comments.

Use small talk to establish
trust and rapport.

could be the husband, father or grandfather.
HIPAA is American-contexted, which lies in
protecting patient privacy based on Western
philosophy principles of individuality.
According to HIPAA, in a situation where
translation is necessary, as long as the patient
identifies a particular accompanied person
as the translator and does not object, you
may discuss directly with the translator.
Even if translation is not necessary, in
many cultures, decisions are made collectively
within the family. The authority figure
of the family may make decisions for the
patient, even if the patient is 18 or older.
If the authority figure is excluded from
the discussion, it can in fact be considered
as disrespectful. Therefore, frequent and
transparent communication involving key
persons in the family is crucial.

Research the demographics
of the area you serve.
If you work in an area that has a high
concentration of a specific ethnic or racial
culture, read up on its customs, particularly
about cultural beliefs and religious practice.
When I was on staff as an attending at a local
hospital with a large percentage of Jewish
Orthodox patients, the hospital
thoughtfully gave me a
packet about Jewish
c u s tom s . For

The more you know about the patient's
cultures, the more you may be able to quickly
establish rapport. If your patient comes from
the Caribbean islands and you've taken
a cruise through the Caribbean, you can
certainly start conversation there. You can
also inquire about the patient's hometown
or a particular ethnic dish that might be
interesting to you.

Recognize HIPAA's limitations.
When interacting with adult
patients who are not proficient in
English, bear in mind that in certain
cultures, a family authority figure

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