Minority students have traditionally been underrepresented in dental schools, which is why enrichment and pipeline programs aimed at helping minority students are necessary. That reality is reflected in their woeful underrepresentation among practicing dentists. Hispanics made up only 5.8 percent of practicing dentists in 2011, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and African-Americans made up only 1 percent--far less than their representation in the general population. This underrepresentation has been blamed in part for the poor dental care that many minorities receive. A 2002 report from the Institute of Medicine notes that "racial and ethnic minority providers are more likely to serve in minority and medically underserved communities" and recommends increasing "the proportions of underrepresented U.S. racial and ethnic minorities among health professionals" to improve access to care. The author reports on pipeline programs that offer minority students a path to dentistry.