ABSTRACT
This chapter will critically assess the feminisation of dentistry and the popular claim that dentistry is an equal opportunities profession. Since the 1970s, there has been a steady increase in the number of women entering the profession, indicating that dentistry has undergone a process of feminisation. Repeated workforce studies document the flexibility of the dental profession with female dentists being more likely to work part-time and take career breaks than their male counterparts. Studies exploring students’ motivations to study dentistry support the perception that dentistry is a more ‘female-friendly’, ‘family friendly’ healthcare profession vis-a-vis medicine. Using a sociological approach, this book chapter argues that a ‘gender myth’ pervades about dentistry which assumes incorrectly that there is gender equality in the profession. Such a myth is dangerous as it misleads prospective dental students about the reality of their future working lives and the assumed inclusivity of the profession. The chapter will use feminist theories and research methods to interrogate the role and place of women in the profession. International and national data on the gender composition of dentistry will be used, alongside qualitative studies documenting the experiences of women in general dental practice and clinical academia, to test the veracity of this ‘gender myth’. Through these lines of enquiry, we will discover the masculinist culture and organisation of dentistry, evidence for the prevalence of sexism and sexual harassment within the profession, as well as the vertical and horizontal segregation which women encounter that ‘block’ their progression through the dental pipeline.
