Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commitment Statement

ABPD is pleased to announce our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commitment Statement:
 
“The American Board of Pediatric Dentistry (ABPD) believes that every child, every adolescent, and every individual with special needs deserves quality care. ABPD’s commitment to excellence through a certification process that inspires lifelong learning enables pediatric dentists to deliver quality care. Intrinsically tied to its value a commitment to lifelong learning, ABPD acknowledges that it must continue to evolve and intentionally focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to deliver excellence and quality pediatric oral health care. ABPD defines DEI as:

• Diversity: A commitment to certifying pediatric dentists from varied backgrounds who respect the diversity of the patients, families, and communities they serve. Diversity includes (but is not limited to): different cultures, perspectives, abilities, racial and ethnic identities, gender identities and expressions, sexual orientations, socioeconomics, geographies, religions, and ages.
• Equity: A commitment to administering a fair and valid examination and striving to provide the tools that may be needed by individuals based on their unique situation.
• Inclusion: A commitment to listening and understanding to foster collaboration and build a safe and respectful environment, allowing for the full participation of every individual in the board certification process.

ABPD has acted by creating a DEI Committee; facilitating a DEI workshop for board and staff; providing annual unconscious bias training for examiners; removing unnecessary identifiers in exams; beginning data collection; and more. DEI is currently a pillar of the 2022-2025 strategic plan as ABPD intentionally focuses on DEI with the plan to infuse DEI into every pillar in the future."