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

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. 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. 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). 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.