Honoring Heritage, Building Futures: Creating Pathways into Dentistry for Indigenous Communities

Includes a Live Web Event on 11/07/2024 at 2:00 PM (EST)

Join us for a collaborative presentation with the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) and the Society of American Indian Dentists (SAID).

This session will highlight the urgent need for more Indigenous dentists. We will explore the historical relationship between Indigenous communities, the health care system and dentistry, and how this impacts oral health in these communities today. Additionally, we will discuss the challenges Indigenous students face while pursuing dental education and explore strategies for developing partnerships to support their success. By increasing Indigenous representation in the dental profession, we aim to address oral health disparities that disproportionately affect these communities. This presentation will also showcase current initiatives and resources available to Indigenous students.

Learning Objectives:

Recognize how colonialism has impacted oral health standards for Indigenous community.
Identify challenges and barriers Indigenous students face while pursuing a career in dentistry.
Identify ways to foster collaboration and build pathways into dentistry for Indigenous students.
Understand current statistics on Indigenous representation in dentistry.

Original Release Date: November 7, 2024

Expiration Date: November 7, 2027

Questions? Contact learn@adea.org

Disclaimer: The purpose of this presentation is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional care and is not intended for use for the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions. Guests on this presentation express their own experience, opinions and conclusions. Guest statements do not express the viewpoint of ADEA. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity or therapy should not be construed as an ADEA endorsement.

CE Information

The American Dental Education Association is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider.

An evaluation form is available to participants after the conclusion of the live webinar. To earn continuing education (CE) credit for participation in the webinar, the online evaluation must be completed in full by Nov. 7, 2027. After completing the evaluation, webinar participants can print and save the CE Verification Form.

ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry.

The American Dental Education Association designates this activity for 1.00 continuing education credit.

All speakers agree that neither they nor members of their immediate family have any financial relationships with commercial entities that may be relevant to their presentation.

Cristin Haase, D.M.D., M.P.H.

President

Society of American Indian Dentists

Dr. Cristin Haase is the President of nonprofit The Society of American Indian Dentists. Dr. Haase graduated, in 2017, with a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree and master’s degree in Public Health degree from A.T. Still University Arizona School of Dental & Oral Health. She is currently training as a Pediatric Dental Specialist.

Dr. Haase grew up in the great plains of rural North Dakota and is of Lakota heritage (Cheyenne River Sioux). In 2015, he was recognized as a “Dreamstarter” by the Running Strong for American Indian Youth Organization (founded by Billy Mills) as a dental student, and received the additional honor of being named “Dreamstarter GOLD” in 2020 for organizing The AI/AN Pre-dental Admissions Workshop (PAW) program at A.T. Still University.

Dr. Haase spends her free time hiking, snowboarding and streaming all Taylor Swift’s albums.

Speaker agrees that neither I nor any member of my family have a financial arrangement or affiliation with any corporate organization offering financial support or grant monies for this continuing education program, nor do I have a financial interest in any commercial products or services I will discuss in the presentation.

Teague Rutherford, D.M.D., M.P.H.

Society of American Indian Dentists

Dr. Teague Rutherford is the first enrolled Aaniiih and Nakoda tribal member from Fort Belknap Indian Reservation to become a dentist, having graduated in May 2024 from A.T. Still University Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health. Dr. Rutherford grew up on his reservation in Northcentral Montana where he faced traumatic experiences in the dental chair at Indian Health Service. These experiences, followed by pain-free dental experiences at a private-practice clinic, are what pushed him to pursue a career in dentistry. Using his skills, along with a master’s degree in Public Health attained at the University of Montana, Dr. Rutherford is focused on developing better oral health care for Indigenous people across the nation.

Currently, Dr. Rutherford is participating in a General Practice Residency in Fresno, Calif., to help gain more clinical and administrative experience in dentistry. His overall goals are to return home and practice dentistry within his reservation and help other Alaskan Native/American Indian students accomplish their dreams in holistic health care.

Frances Kim, D.D.S., M.P.H., Dr.P.H.

Student Programs Manager

Society of American Indian Dentists

Dr. Frances Kim is the Student Programs Manager for Society of American Indian Dentists (SAID). She received her D.D.S. from the University of Maryland School of Dentistry. After a one-year General Practice Residency at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, she received her master’s degree in Public Health with a concentration in Family and Community Health and Doctorate in Public Health in Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Kim completed a dental public health residency at Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

As a dental public health consultant, she has been involved in various activities in both the private and public sector, has been appointed as adjunct faculty in several schools—providing instruction in public health as well as mentoring for dental public health residents and predoctoral students—and has been involved in epidemiologic research and analysis. Dr. Kim is a Past President of the American Association of Public Health Dentistry and a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Public Health.