Supporting the Transgender Community

By Anna N. Vo, RDH, BS, Michelle C. Arnett, RDH, BS, MS, Miranda Drake, RDH, MSDH, Yvette G. Reibel, RDH, BA, BSDH, MSDH

Transgender individuals identify their gender, expression, and behavior differently than their biological sex established at birth.^1–3 An estimated 1.4 million Americans identified as transgender in 2014 according to the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law.⁴ The number of people in the transgender community has doubled since 2011, and it is suspected this number may be even higher. Transgender people are often underreported due to familial, social, and psychological stressors related to public acceptance. Research has estimated about one in every 250 adults identify with the transgender community, with the majority being young adults.^4,5 Dental hygienists need to understand the complexity of social determinants of health and the impact of hormone replacement therapy during transitioning on oral and systemic health to provide patient-centered care.

* References can be found in the original article via the link below.
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