New Jersey seeks to diversify dental profession

The New Jersey State Department of Health and Senior Services and the New Jersey Dental Association have joined forces to attract a more diverse group of students to careers in oral health in the state, according to a story in the Cape May County Herald.

The state is offering a new tool kit that provides facts about oral health careers and lists resources for students and parents, according to the story. It also contains information that will help school guidance counselors and student advisors arrange for oral health professionals to visit their schools.

"New Jersey’s minority populations are growing, and so too is the state’s need for a diverse healthy professional workforce," said health Commissioner Heather Howard in a press release. "With this tool kit, we hope to inspire minority students to pursue careers in the oral health professions."

Patients play a more active role in their health care when the provider is the same race as them and are also more likely to visit a provider of the same race and ethnicity, according to the release.