Speak Spanglish: Caring for the Latin Community

By Amber Lovatos, RDH, BSDH, MAADH

Have you ever wished you could do more for your patient but found that culture has been a barrier? I think we have all noticed there is certain misinformation passed along in different cultures. Even as healthcare workers, we often experience this with our own families. As a Mexican American myself, I know a great deal of the different "medical tips "that are passed along from our favorite "tia" (aunt) or the overly helpful "vecino" (neighbor). These behaviors are far too common in the Hispanic and Latin community. They are also behaviors I try to understand and empathize with so that I can better care for my minority patients. In this course, you will learn the “why” behind some of the behaviors in the Hispanic and Latin communities. You will become familiar with the nuances of dealing with Hispanics, environmental factors that contribute to their decision-making, and learn how to leverage our similarities. The “meta” or goal of this course is to equip dental professionals to better understand the cultural factors affecting our patients’ behaviors so that we can increase equity in the minority community.

The learner will be able to:

Amber Lovatos, RDH, BSDH, “The Latina RDH'' is the founder of Latin RDH and the host of Un Cuento de Dos Higienistas podcast. She has been compassionately blazing trails personally and professionally for more than 10 years. As a clinician, educator, author, and champion for public health issues, she inspires industry colleagues with unique stories that include triumph over abuse and being first-generation college graduate. She can be reached at amlovatos@gmail.com or on Instagram @thelatinardh.

# of CE: 1.5

CRÚ Food & Wine Bar (West Village)

3699 McKinney Avenue, #107, Dallas, TX 75204