By reducing healthcare disparities, providing nonjudgmental care, and addressing areas of high risk, oral health professionals can play a unique role in encouraging oral and systemic health in this patient population.

Dental hygienists are well-positioned to address this important issue facing community-dwelling seniors.

Explicit (conscious) and implicit (unconscious) biases affect providers’ understanding, actions, communication, and treatment decisions.

Oral health professionals are charged with encouraging open communication with patients, and understanding their perception of health and disease, as influenced by traditional beliefs.

Clinicians face ethical dilemmas throughout their careers, but a strong educational foundation in ethics and ethical decision-making provides a helpful guide.

Providing culturally appropriate treatment is key to improving access to care and health outcomes in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender patients.