The Dental Professionals' Role in Human Trafficking
- Saturday 1/28/2023
- Time: 2:00 - 4:00 pm
- Course Code: 646SL
- Cost: $75
- Room Location: BCEC Room 255
- Credits: 2 CE Hours

Amber Lovatos, RDH is the Clinical Director of Dental Services at TOMAGWA HealthCare Ministries, a non-profit medical and dental clinic. She is also an adjunct assistant professor at The University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston. Amber speaks on a variety of topics including teledentistry, abuse, public health, disabilities, the correlation between diabetes and cancer, caring for the Hispanic population, and human trafficking. She has presented numerous times, both nationally and regionally, including at the American Dental Hygienists’ Association, American Association of Orthodontics, and American Academy of Orofacial Pain. She is also the co-founder of Dental Hygiene Spark, a social media platform dedicated to empowering dental hygienists. Amber is the recipient of numerous awards including the American Dental Education Association’s Crest Oral-B Scholarship for Dental Hygienists' Pursuing Academic Careers, ADEA Sigma Phi Alpha Scholarship, ADHA Irene Woodall Graduate Scholarship, and ADHA Wrigleys Mars Foundation Grant. Amber has a passion for service and public health. More than that, Amber has dedicated her career to serving the underserved and increasing access to care. She is passionate about bringing care to people’s communities and empowering others to do the same.
Dental professionals are key players in combating abuse and human trafficking as they are equipped with the knowledge to identify abnormalities and signs of abuse in the head and neck. This course aims to break down misconceptions associated with victimization. After completion of this course attendees will be able to identify indicators of abuse and human trafficking. The dental professional will be equipped with the appropriate steps to implement in suspected abuse cases. They will also be provided with appropriate language to use with potential victims. Attendees will be provided with descriptions and examples of extra- and intra- oral signs of abuse, as well as outline the dental professionals’ responsibilities in the recognition, reporting, and management of such cases.
After this course attendees will be able to:
- Identify signs of abuse and human trafficking
- Differentiate between sex and labor trafficking
- Produce appropriate documents and report signs of victimization
- Discuss the role of the dental professional in reporting suspected human trafficking
- Evaluate a situation for signs of human trafficking
- Implement organizational protocols for potential human trafficking situations
Recommended Audience: Assistant, Dentist, Hygienist, Office, Technician
OTHER COURSES BY:
OTHER COURSES ABOUT: