A national survey of dental hygiene faculty perspectives on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Purpose/objectives: To investigate potential unconscious bias among dental hygiene educators and identify baseline perceptions of race and racism.

Methods: Dental hygiene programs in the USA were clustered into 4 geographic regions from which 2 programs were sampled from each region. The 20-item, Color-Blind Racial Attitudes Scale (CoBRAS) electronic survey was sent to educators from each of the selected programs in 2022.

Facilitating Advanced Research Skills Beyond the Undergraduate Dental Hygiene Curricula.

Dental hygiene educators play a key role in assisting students to make connections between research and clinical practice. A core course in research was redesigned with the goal of motivating and encouraging dental hygiene students to advance research skills beyond the undergraduate dental hygiene curricula. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the redesigned course and the student outcomes as they relate to perceived barriers and motivation for future research in dental hygiene.