The two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual and gender identity curriculum in Canadian Dental Schools: What are the gaps and proposed next steps?

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate gaps in the delivery of two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual and gender identity (2SLGBTQ+) curricula and identify curricular challenges within Canadian dental schools. METHODS: A 21-item closed-ended questionnaire was distributed to curriculum experts across 10 dental schools in Canada. The survey questions were organized into three sections institution characteristics, current 2SLGBTQ+ content and delivery, and opinions on the improvement of the 2SLGBTQ+ curriculum. Microsoft Excel (2020) was used to perform a descriptive analysis of the survey responses. RESULTS: Nine dental schools participated in the survey. All participating schools reported the offering of undergraduate, graduate, and degree completion programs. The most reported methods of teaching 2SLGBTQ+ content were 'lecture-based teaching' (n = 5), 'small-group teaching' (n = 4), and 'case-based discussions' (n = 4). The most common topics taught were 'gender identity' (n = 7) and '2SLGBTQ+ discrimination in healthcare care settings' (n = 7). The topics of 'sex reassignment surgery,' 'alcohol, tobacco, or other substance use by 2SLGBTQ+ people,' '2SLGBTQ+ pediatric and adolescent oral health issues,' 'coming out,' and 'sex reassignment surgery' were not included or were unknown by the majority of dental schools (n = 8). Overall, participants were unsatisfied with the level of 2SLGBTQ+-specific content covered at their institution and reported a 'lack of space within the curriculum and time constraints' as a barrier to implementation (n = 8). CONCLUSION: Community-based research is needed to identify the unmet oral health needs of the 2SLGBTQ+ population, which can be translated into the development of a risk-based oral health curriculum within Canada and beyond.