In comparison to a few decades ago, women are making great strides. Today’s dental schools are seeing more women attendees, even though they might not be as represented as faculty or in leadership roles. A comparison of the strides that women have made in the field show that in 1968 that less than 2 percent of graduating classes were comprised of women. Today, that figure is close to 50 percent of the population. Many of these strides have come because there has been a great paradigm shift in the way society views women in this particular profession.
In the past, many viewed women becoming dentists as them taking an opportunity away from a man, and that was a common belief among professionals at the time. Some women were treated as though they were not as qualified as male dentists based on their sex.
However, today, as women take on more roles in the field, people of all ages and backgrounds no longer find the appearance of female dentists unusual or offensive.