Minimized realities: the history of dental hygiene education in Kansas City Missouri at UMKC from 1950-2025 and the transformation of provider identity

This dissertation traces the evolution of Dental Hygiene education and practice in Kansas City since 1950 and situates these developments within the broader global, national, and local history of dentistry. Because dental and other professional schools have long been, and largely remain, predominantly white institutions, generations of students were educated within whitewashed historical frameworks and systems shaped by racial privilege. This study explores how racial identity—particularly white racial identity—is malleable and can shift through personal turning points, critical mentorship, and intentional confrontation of inherited narratives. My own evolving understanding of race and privilege is reflected in ten years of pedagogical transformation within the course Community Oral Health Field Experiences, where instruction moved from reinforcing historical myths to preparing clinicians to understanding vulnerable populations, public health systems, and the social determinants of health and advocating for equitable access to care.As the gap widens between traditional dental curriculum and the needs of contemporary populations reliant on public health systems, this dissertation documents efforts to reconcile these tensions. It foregrounds the discomfort and responsibility that accompany recognizing one’s privilege, noting that privilege can grant educators acceptance even when they challenge inequitable systems. Such acceptance carries an obligation to reject outdated assumptions and participate actively in shaping a more just collective future. The study further demonstrates that educators hold substantial power in creating equitable learning environments, beginning with the acknowledgment that academic spaces are not inherently equitable. Through historical analysis, it examines the influence of faculty who, aligned with broader social movements, catalyzed meaningful shifts in dental hygiene education. Without such commitment, higher education risks perpetuating biased narratives that sustain white dominance. Intentional cultural representation, institutional values, and policy change are essential to preventing inequity from becoming codified as “official knowledge.” Ultimately, this dissertation illustrates a path from indoctrination into whiteness toward allyship and educational change agency, highlighting how these shifts shape students’ developing racial identities. Acknowledging white privilege does not hinder an educator’s ability to lead transformative dialogue; rather, it demands active engagement, disruption of complicity, and the creation of learning environments capable of advancing social progress.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education (UMKC)

Grantor

University of Missouri--Kansas City

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• Sutton, Julie Darden

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• McCarther, Shirley Marie
• Davis, Donna M. (Donna Marie)

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10355/112320

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:mospace.umsystem.edu:10355/112320