Evidence mapPaperPMID 42529652Full record

ArticleFrontiers in oral health2026

Dental distrust and discrimination: a nationally representative perspective on LGBTQ+ adults' experiences with oral health care.

Morgan Santoro, Lisa J Heaton, Hannah J Cheung, Rebecca A Preston, Eric P Tranby

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Article in Frontiers in oral health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Morgan SantoroAnalytics & Data Insights, CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, Boston, MA, United States.
Lisa J HeatonAnalytics & Data Insights, CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, Boston, MA, United States.
Hannah J CheungAnalytics & Data Insights, CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, Boston, MA, United States.
Rebecca A PrestonAnalytics & Data Insights, CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, Boston, MA, United States.
Eric P TranbyAnalytics & Data Insights, CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, Boston, MA, United States.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Discrimination within oral health care settings is increasingly recognized as a key driver of oral health inequities, shaping patient trust, care-seeking behaviors, and health outcomes. Although prior studies document discriminatory experiences among racially and ethnically minoritized populations, nationally representative evidence on discrimination and dignity in dental care among LGBTQ+ adults remains limited. This study examines differences in discrimination and microaggressions in dental settings by LGBTQ+ status, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Methods: This study analyzed pooled data from the 2022-2025 waves of the State of Oral Health Equity in America (SOHEA) survey, a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults aged 18 and older. This study measured discrimination using the Everyday Discrimination Scale-Oral Care (EDSOC) and assessed microaggressions using the Dignity in Oral Care Scale (DOCS). Descriptive and bivariate analyses compared mean scores across identity groups. Multivariable linear regression models estimated associations between LGBTQ+ status, sexual orientation, and gender identity with EDSOC and DOCS scores, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and dental insurance status. This study's analyses focused on group differences and associations and were conducted without applying survey weights. Results: The analytic sample included 15,591 adults from the 2022-2025 SOHEA surveys with complete data (52.5% of the total Discussion: Findings demonstrate that LGBTQ+ adults, particularly questioning and gender-diverse individuals, experience disproportionate discrimination and microaggressions in dental care settings. Addressing interpersonal and structural sources of bias in oral health care is critical to advancing equity and improving access to respectful, high-quality care for LGBTQ+ populations.

Indexed as

adultsdiscriminationLGBTQ+microaggressionoral health

Identifiers

PMID42529652
PMCPMC13417903

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.