Are there more women in the dentist workforce? Using an intersectionality lens to explore the feminization of the dentist workforce in the UK and US

Abstract

In this paper, we seek to understand feminization of the dentist workforce moving beyond previous research that has looked at gender in isolation. We contend that little consideration has been given to how gender interacts with other important social identities such as race/ethnicity to influence the opportunities and barriers that female dentists encounter during their dental career. We argue that the scholarly debate about the feminization of the dentistry has not acknowledged the intersectionality of women's lives. Intersectionality describes how multiple social identities (such as race/ethnicity, gender, and class) overlap and interact to inform outcomes, creating disadvantages and/or privileges. Our thesis is that the increasing feminization of the dentist workforce is complicated and paradoxical, creating both opportunities for women and gender imbalances and blockages within the profession. To support our thesis, we critically reviewed the literature on feminization and analysed UK and US workforce data. While the female dentist workforce in both the UK and the US has increased significantly over the past decade, the growth in the number of female dentists was not equal across all racial/ethnic groups. The largest increase in the number of female dentists was among White and Asian women. Viewing the feminization of the dentist workforce through an intersectionality lens exposes the multiple and complex experiences of women, as well as the power dynamics in dentistry. Feminization in dentistry demonstrates the importance of presence, privilege, and power. Based on our assessment of the dentist workforce, dentistry may be less inclusive, despite being perceived as more diverse. Further research should explore how power and privilege may operate in dentistry. Dentistry should embrace intersectionality to provide an inclusive evaluation of equity in the workforce.

LGBTQ+ related curricular activities in Brazilian Dental Schools: Do institutional and/or deans’ profiles matter?

“…It is important to remember that the feminization of Dentistry was directly linked to the trajectory of the feminist movement, which began with the struggle for more egalitarian relationships for women and later served as a motto for the development of other causes, highlighting racism and LGBTQ+ phobia and the hegemony of CIS heteronormative bodies. [33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46]…”

“…Moreover, dental schools coordinated by women (when compared with men) were 2.13 times more likely to develop pedagogical strategies with the aim of caring for the oral health of the LGBTQ+ population. It is important to remember that the feminization of Dentistry was directly linked to the trajectory of the feminist movement, which began with the struggle for more egalitarian relationships for women and later served as a motto for the development of other causes, highlighting racism and LGBTQ+ phobia and the hegemony of CIS heteronormative bodies 33–46 …”

“…The questionnaire to assess the profile of dental school deans consisted of nine questions, including socioeconomic aspects, knowledge, affinity, and involvement with the LGBTQ+ population, as follows: 1. Age (Less than 30 years; [30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40] Subsequently, an attempt was made to investigate the perception of those participants regarding the LGBTQ+ population by means of two questions: 1. Degree of knowledge of who LGBTQ+ people are (Yes/completely: I know all the identities that make up the LGBTQ+ population; Yes/partially: I partially know the identities that make up the LGBTQ+ population; No/I don't know who LGBTQ+ individuals are); 2.…”

O‐HEALTH‐EDU: A viewpoint into the current state of Oral Health Professional education in Europe: Part 1: Programme‐level data

“…Our data suggests that most graduates of DH in Europe will continue to be female; however, male numbers may be increasing compared to previous estimates. Two recent narratives uncovered existing inequalities in the oral health workforce that have persisted irrespective of the increase in female OHPs, particularly across different ethnic groups 35,36 …”

Dentistry and Gender Gap: An Overview of the Italian Situation

“…As has been widely reported, this might be due to a lack of women practicing dentistry, who can also serve as role models for the future generation. Indeed, it is reported that when a woman takes on a leadership position in dentistry, she has less probability of being married or with children [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. This scenario frightens new generations of young women who see themselves as forced to choose between a career or family, which is a scenario that young men do not perceive [ 26 ].…”