In this issue:
By the Numbers: Women in Dentistry
Historical Milestones
1855
Emeline Roberts Jones, the first woman to practice dentistry in the U.S., began working as an assistant to her husband Daniel Jones in his practice. Emeline went on to treat patients by herself as a dentist after Daniel’s death in 1864 and eventually founded her own practice in New Haven, Connecticut.
Source: Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame [internet]. New Haven (CT): Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame; c2018. Emeline Roberts Jones [cited 2018 April 13]. Available from: https://cwhf.org/inductees/science-health/emeline-roberts-jones#.WtDz59MbPUI.
1866
Lucy Hobbs Taylor earned her doctor of dental surgery degree from the Ohio College of Dental Surgery. She was the first woman to earn this degree in the U.S. The American Association of Women Dentists (AAWD) honors her legacy with the Lucy Hobbs Taylor Award, presented annually to select AAWD members in recognition of their achievements in advancing the role of women in dentistry.
Source: University of Michigan School of Dentistry [internet]. Ann Arbor (MI): University of Michigan School of Dentistry; c2018. Lucy Beaman Hobbs Taylor, First Woman DDS [updated 2014 June 25; cited 2018 May 15]. Available from: https://dent.umich.edu/about-school/sindecuse-museum/lucy-beaman-hobbs-taylor-first-woman-dds.
2009
Kathleen T. O’Loughlin was appointed as the first woman executive director of the American Dental Association. She was also the first female dental school class president and was valedictorian of her graduating class at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts.
Source: American Dental Association: America’s leading advocate for oral health [internet]. Chicago: American Dental Association; c2018. Kathleen T. O’Loughlin: ADA Executive Director [cited 2018 April 13]. Available from: https://www.ada.org/en/member-center/leadership-governance/board-of-trustees/ada-officers-and-trustees/kathleen-oloughlin.
Shifting Demographics
29.5%
Percentage of U.S. dentists who are women, accounting for 56,544 out of 191,772 total dentists
60%
The approximate percentage of dentists in Europe who are women
2020
The projected year in which more women than men will be practicing dentistry in the U.S.
Sources: American Dental Association: America’s leading advocate for oral health [internet]. Chicago: American Dental Association; c2018. Supply and Profile of Dentists [cited 2018 May 9]. Available from: https://www.ada.org/en/science-research/health-policy-institute/data-center/supply-and-profile-of-dentists.
Needham S. The shifting paradigm of dentistry: The predominance of women. Dental Economics [internet]. 2017 May 1 [cited 2018 April 13]. Available from: https://www.dentaleconomics.com/articles/print/volume-107/issue-5/macroeconomics/the-shifting-paradigm-of-dentistry-the-predominance-of-women.html.
