There is a long history of women in dentistry. Women are depicted as assistant dentists in the middle ages. Prior to the 19th century, dentistry was largely not yet a clearly defined and regulated profession with formal educational requirements. Individual female dentists are known from the 18th century. When the profession was regulated in the 19th century, it took a while before women achieved the formal education and permission to engage in dentistry.
In the 18th century dentistry was not yet a regulated and clearly defined profession, and could be performed by people of all professions, such as barbers and beauticians. The informality of the profession, where no formal education (unavailable to women) was not yet required, meant that women dentists did exist during the 18th century.
Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. It consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions of the mouth, most commonly focused on dentition as well as the oral mucosa. Dentistry may also encompass other aspects of the craniofacial complex including the temporomandibular joint. The practitioner is called a dentist.
The American Dental Association (ADA) is an American professional association established in 1859 which has more than 161,000 members. Based in the American Dental Association Building in the Near North Side of Chicago, the ADA is the world's largest and oldest national dental association. The organization lobbies on behalf of the American dental profession and provides dental accredation.
The Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery was founded in 1856 in Philadelphia and was the second oldest operating school of dentistry in the United States by the time of its closing in 1909. From its faculty came what are today the dental schools of Temple University and the University of Pennsylvania.
The Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO) is the regulatory college for dentists in the province of Ontario, Canada. The college was incorporated on March 4, 1868, when royal assent was granted to An Act Respecting Dentistry in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Dental hygienists are separately regulated by the College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario.
Lucy Hobbs Taylor was an American dentist, known for being the first woman to graduate from dental school.
Michele Aerden is a dentist and was president of the FDI World Dental Federation from 2005 to 2007. She was the first woman ever to be elected president of this non-profit organization and worked to promote oral health within the World Health Organization and worldwide.
The practice of dentistry in Canada is overseen by the National Dental Examining Board of Canada in conjunction with other agencies, such as the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada and the Royal College of Dentists of Canada. In 2013 there were 21,109 dentists in Canada according to the Canadian Dental Association.
Pediatric dentistry is the branch of dentistry dealing with children from birth through adolescence. The specialty of pediatric dentistry is recognized by the American Dental Association, Royal College of Dentists of Canada, and Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons.
The National Dental Association (NDA) is a professional association of minority dentists based in Washington, D.C., and operating in the United States, Canada and Latin America. Formed in 1913, it is the largest such association in the world. Among the aims of the NDA is extending dental treatment and education to impoverished, disabled or minority populations, as well as those who may not be able to seek proper care due to age. It also works to maintain professional standards in dentistry and to encourage dental careers among minority populations.
Chiann Fan Gibson is an American dentist and beauty queen who has held the titles of Mrs. United States 2005, Miss Hawaiian Tropic World Finalist 1997, American Dream Calendar Girl 1995, Miss Washington USA 1989 and Washington's Jr. Miss 1986. Chiann Fan was born in Tokyo, Japan but is 100% Taiwanese in descent. She was naturalized in 1986 as a US citizen in TX. Dr. Chiann Fan Gibson was chosen to compete to compete on ABC-TV modeling show, “Are You Hot?” 2003. Prize monies and scholarships Gibson won through pageantry helped pay for her childhood psychology degree from the University of Washington (1991) and Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston Massachusetts, where she obtained her doctorate of Dental Medicine in 1995. She serves as President of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.
Emeline Roberts Jones (1836–1916) was the first woman to practice dentistry in the United States.
There is a long history of women in dentistry in the United States.
Lilian Lindsay, CBE, FSA was a dentist, dental historian, librarian and author who became the first qualified female dentist in Britain and the first female president of the British Dental Association.
Gillette Hayden (1880-1929) was a pioneering dentist and periodontist in the early 20th century. She was a founder of the American Academy of Periodontology and served as the first female President of the organization in 1916.
Dentistry in the Philippines can be divided into five periods of dental practice. Using the timeline of Philippine history as a template, they are: the Pre-Spanish era, the Spanish era, the American era, the Japanese occupation era and the independent Philippine-Republics era.
Caroline Louise Josephine Wells was the first professionally qualified female dentist in Ontario, Canada. She was also the first person to provide dental services in mental hospitals in Ontario, and towards the end of her career worked exclusively in these institutions.
Minnie Evangeline Jordon was an American dentist, and the first dentist in the United States to specialize in pediatric dentistry.
Juliann Bluitt Foster was the first African American woman to graduate from dentistry school. Bluitt was born and raised in Washington, D.C., on June 14, 1938. She was the only child to Marion Eugenia Hughes and Stephen Bernard Bluitt. In 1993, she became the first woman President of the American College of Dentists, as well as the first woman President of the Chicago Dental Society in 1992.
Dolores Mercedes Franklin is an American dentist, health policy advocate, and author. She was the first African American woman to graduate from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine in 1974.
Jessica Ann Rickert became the first female American Indian dentist in America upon graduating with a DDS from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry in 1975. She was one of only six women in a class of 140 students. She is a member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, and a direct descendant of the Indian chief Wahbememe (Whitepigeon).
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)