Doctoral student Jenn Lee presented her research, "Understanding Oral Health Disparity: A Comparative Study between Dental Medicine and Social Work Disciplines," at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA) in Minneapolis, MN.
Jenn’s presentation explored how dental medicine and social work disciplines differ in their understanding of the social determinants of oral health. She also highlighted the role of social workers in dental offices in mitigating oral health disparities.
Jenn has been conducting research, Empowering Smiles: Well-being in Dental Care, on the social dynamics that contribute to oral health disparities (https://rise-mh.pitt.edu/news/empowering-smiles-well-being-dental-care). Her current project involves interviewing immigrant community members, dentists, and dental office staff in Pittsburgh to examine the challenges immigrants face in accessing preventive dental care. She is also exploring the potential for integrating social workers into dental practices to address these challenges.