Have you ever had a Black woman or Black man as your dentist?
If you have, consider this rare. Only 4 percent of dentists across the country are Black.
Dr. Airiga Tucker-Mims and Dr. Bruce Hamilton are two Milwaukee dentists calculated in that number. Dr. Hamilton found his purpose. He’s been dreaming of this life since he was 7 years old.
“When you start to think about private practice owners, I mean, there’s probably not more than 5,” Dr. Hamilton said.
He’s referring to the amount of Black dentists in Milwaukee and the surrounding areas.
“When I came back here in 1997 there were like four or five of us.”
Although he was born and raised in Milwaukee, Dr. Hamilton went to Xavier University of Louisiana, a historically Black college, then went to dental school at the University of Minnesota. In his entire four years of dental school, he said he was the only Black student.
“I feel like I belong here. I’m secure in what it is that I do,” Dr. Hamilton said.
His experiences are very similar to Dr. Airiga Tucker-Mims. She too grew up in Milwaukee then went an HBCU. She attended Hampton University, then Marquette University for dental school. She was also one of the only Black students.