Acculturation and Pediatric Minority Oral Health Interventions

Synopsis

Immigrant populations are growing at a fast pace in the United States. Cultural variations can have implications on oral health of children form immigrant households. Length of stay in the US and language spoken at home, proxies for measuring acculturation, are some of the crucial factors determining the level of acculturation in families. Higher acculturation generally has a positive impact on oral health utilization. Improving cultural competency of the dental team and involving the stakeholders in intervention design and implementation are some strategies that may increase the trust of ethnic minority patients and reduce barriers to access to care.