Dental News - Women dentists now outnumber their male counterparts in Australia

Women dentists now outnumber their male counterparts in Australia

Due in part to the profession’s flexible hours and work–life balance, the number of female dentists in Australia has been steadily on the rise since the 1960s. (Photograph: Vadim Zakharishchev/Shutterstock)

Dental Tribune International

Wed. 25. October 2017

save

SYDNEY, Australia: The latest figures out of Australia show that, for the first time in the island continent’s history, there are more women working in dentistry than men. With its flexible hours, creativity and good pay, many women are choosing the profession over medicine. The trend, however, might not be isolated.

In Australia in 1906, two female dentists were among the first women to graduate with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery from the University of Sydney. Since then, the presence of women in dentistry has gradually increased, with the greatest influx of female dentists between 2000 and 2009, amounting to an increase of 89.5 per cent.

According to the recently released figures from the Dental Board of Australia, 50.2 per cent of dental practitioners, including dentists and dental therapists, across the country are female. Additionally, of the 732 current members of the Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch, 410 are women and 322 men.

Speaking to Dental Tribune Online, President of the Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch Dr Susan Wise said, “There is now more diversity of dentists with respect to gender and ethnicity. Women are attracted to dentistry as a career, as it is possible to do part-time work and fit in bringing up young children. This is more difficult in many fields of medicine, law, accounting and architecture.”

The trend is not limited to Australia, however. A US study published in 2015 found that the number of female applicants to dental schools in the country was increasing while the number of male applicants was declining. In their analysis, the researchers, from the University of Virginia School of Medicine and the American Dental Education Association, included data from all 65 US dental schools covering 2013–2014.

“This trend is likely to continue. In Victoria, there are more female dental students at both the University of Melbourne and La Trobe University. Also, there are significantly more female overseas-trained dentists who are members of the Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch who have not yet passed the registration exams to practise in Australia,” said Wise.