Implicit Racial Bias in Oral Health: A Scoping Review of Students' and Providers' Perceptions

Area of Science:

• Dental Education
• Health Disparities
• Psychology

Background:

• Implicit bias, an unconscious form of prejudice, influences judgments and decisions.
• Understanding implicit bias in healthcare is vital for equitable patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review of scientific literature on implicit bias in dental and dental hygiene students and providers.
• To investigate the association between implicit biases and patients' oral health outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive scoping review following PRISMA-ScR guidelines.
• Inclusion of English-language, PubMed-indexed studies published up to October 2023.
• Assessment of implicit bias using Implicit Association Test (IAT), Brief IAT (BIAT), and Color-Blind Racial Attitudes Scale (CoBRAS).

Main Results:

• Ten studies met inclusion criteria, revealing implicit pro-White racial bias in dental professionals' clinical decision-making.
• Evidence suggests implicit racial preferences favoring European Americans over African Americans.
• Color-blind racial attitudes indicate unawareness of racism, highlighting a need for further research on bias implications.

Conclusions:

• Included studies indicate implicit racial bias among some dental professionals, potentially affecting patient oral health.
• Limited generalizability due to small sample sizes and lack of diversity in studies.
• Training to increase awareness and reduce implicit bias is essential for equitable oral healthcare.