When it comes to having access to quality health care, minorities still lag behind their white counterparts, research shows, and that can include dental and orthodontic problems that get postponed or go untreated.

“This is a huge problem because regular checkups and care are critical to keeping your teeth and gums healthy,”  says Dr. Bobbi Peterson (www.allthingsdrbobbi.com), an orthodontist who is an African-American.

One contributing factor to the limited care for minorities is a lack of diversity in the medical profession. Studies have shown that minority patients are more likely to visit medical professionals who also are minorities, but diversity among dentists does not mirror the overall population at all, according to the American Dental Association. In a 2015 study, for example, just 3.8 percent of dentists were black, while the nation’s overall black population was 12.4 percent.

Meanwhile, just 5.2 percent of dentists were Hispanic, compared to 17.7 percent of the overall population.

For many people, this does matter, and there’s even a mobile app and website called Hued that tries to match patients with black and Latino doctors.

“Of course, for many people there might not be any medical providers whose offices are that close to them,” Peterson says. “Even in a place as large as Brooklyn, I’m one of only three black-female orthodontists with their own office.”

The lack of care for minorities has been a concern for years, and some of the issues that have been raised include:

• Minorities have more oral-health problems. African-Americans and Hispanics have significantly greater rates of untreated cavities than non-Hispanic whites, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. African-Americans and Hispanics also have disproportionate rates of tooth loss, the CDC reports. Would those statistics be different if the patients had access to a dentist or orthodontist who was a minority? Perhaps, though other factors could play a role, such as the cost of dental care. Still, in 2015 psychiatrist Damon Tweedy wrote in a New York Times guest column that black patients are more likely to feel comfortable with black doctors, and studies have shown they are more likely to seek them out for treatment.
• Trust can be an issue. In that same column, Tweedy wrote that, compared to other races, black patients are less trusting of physicians and their medical advice. As a result, they often delay or refuse needed treatments. Peterson says she has seen in her practice how important trust is. In some cases, that may transcend race. “The mouth and the face are two really intimate zones as part of your personal space,” she says. “To allow someone into that personal space patients have to trust them.”
• Reaching out to the community is important. Peterson says it’s important for healthcare providers to reach out to their communities, especially in areas where there are low-income families who can’t always afford care. Peterson often volunteers in community schools to teach students and staff dental health, and to provide free screenings to middle school students.

Peterson says it’s important to put patients at ease when they arrive in the office. Otherwise, they might not be inclined to return.

“I like to greet them with a smile and give them a detailed description of what their treatment plan should be,” she says. “They need to know what to expect.”

About Dr. Bobbi Peterson

Dr. Bobbi Peterson (www.allthingsdrbobbi.com) is an orthodontist whose office, Aces Braces, is in the East Flatbush section of  Brooklyn, NY, where she offers child, adolescent, and adult orthodontic services. In addition to instructing new Dental Residents at Kings County Hospital, she volunteers in community schools to teach students and staff dental health and to provide free screenings to middle school students. Dr. Peterson’s training allows her to specialize in all aspects of orthodontics – including retainer installations, crooked or crowded teeth, gapped teeth, and crossbites. Dr. Peterson earned her dental degree from Howard University, and she completed a residency in orthodontics at Maimonides Medical Center. She is multilingual, speaking English, French and Spanish.

The Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC), an inclusive organization dedicated to the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases and the elimination of health disparities, is pleased to announce the election of new and returning members to its board of directors. Michelle A. Albert, MD, MPH, President-elect, and Elizabeth Ofili, MD, MPH, Chair-elect, will serve for one year before stepping into their role as president and board chair, respectively, in March 2020. Anthony Fletcher, MD began his two-year term on the board of directors in April.

Dr. Albert is a professor of medicine at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) and director of the CeNter for the StUdy of AdveRsiTy and CardiovascUlaR DiseasE (NURTURE). She maintains a clinical practice focused on preventive cardiology and the most critically ill heart disease patients at UCSF. She has a distinguished novel research career focused on adversity and cardiovascular disease and is the principal investigator for NIH RO1 funding, an American Heart Association (AHA) Merit Award and other foundation funding. She is an elected member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation (ASCI) and the Association of University Cardiologists (AUC). She is President of the AHA’s San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley Board of Directors. She has held multiple roles within the ABC, including most recently as Secretary of the Board of Directors. Dr. Albert also serves on the Sarnoff Foundation Board of Directors and the NHLBI Board of External Experts.

“At this critical time in the history of the ABC and of our nation, I am honored to be elected as the next president of the ABC,” said Dr. Albert. “We are at an inflection point wherein efforts focused on growth and development of the membership for both women and men along the career life-course is essential. In addition to the latter, enhancement of our brand through strong fruitful collaborations and fiscal strengthening, expansion of our community health impact and magnification of the academic productivity of our organization and membership will be among key goals of my tenure.”

Dr. Ofili is a professor of medicine (Cardiology) at Morehouse School of Medicine, and chief medical officer of the Morehouse Choice Accountable Care Organization. She is the founder of AccuHealth Technologies, “Empowering Patient-Centered Health and Wellness.” She is the principal investigator of the NIH funded national consortium of the Research Centers at Minority Institutions (RCMI) which includes over 18 historically Black, Hispanic, and Minority Serving Institutions across the continental United States, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. She is the multi principal investigator of the NIH funded statewide Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance (GACTSA), and the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN). She also serves on the boards of: Georgia BIO, Georgia’s Life Sciences Partner and Alliant Health Solutions. Dr. Ofili is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and the AUC. Dr. Ofili was the eighth and first woman president of the ABC.

“I am pleased to serve the ABC at this moment in its history. The ABC has pioneered programs that have lasting impact on the diversity of the cardiovascular workforce and cardiovascular health equity,” said Dr. Ofili. “However, much work remains. I look forward to working alongside my colleagues to expand the ABC’s national and global footprint on cardiovascular health.”

Dr. Fletcher currently practices at the Cardiology and Medicine Clinic in Little Rock, Arkansas in association with Dr. Frances R. Harris and Dr. Joe L. Hargrove. He has practiced cardiology in the Little Rock community for the past 32 years. He is an active staff physician at Baptist Medical Center, Arkansas Heart Hospital, St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center and is a former clinical professor in the Department of Cardiology at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). He was past president of three different affiliates of the American Heart Association (AHA). He has served as president and CFO of the Arkansas Medical Dental and Pharmaceutical Association. He was a past member of the National Board of the AHA and has served on several national committees. Currently, he is a member of the Arkansas Commission for Healthcare Improvement (past chairman), and he sits on the Advisor Board of the UAMS College of Public Health.

“My vision for the ABC, is to use its resources and talents to be a strong voice for underserved communities, to address the many inequities in cardiovascular care in our nation and around the world,” said Dr. Fletcher.

The following board members are returning to the board of directors for another term (2019-2021): Uzoma N. Ibebuogu, MD, Kevin Sneed, PharmD, CRPh, and Millicent Gorham, PhD (Hon), MBA. The ABC Board comprises a wide range of experience in various fields, including healthcare, organizational management and capacity building. To learn more, visit http://abcardio.org/board-of-directors.