Women in Dentistry

Public Health

By Dr Randhir Seewoodharry Buguth

The global dental workforce comprises approximately 48% to 75% women. However, historical underrepresentation persists in academia (10%) and in executive leadership and major research roles (4%).

In the UK and the US, approximately 50% and 30–50% of registered dentists respectively are female. In Africa and Asia, a higher proportion of women dentists can be found in tertiary care and academia.

Male dentists still occupy a vast majority of surgical and highly specialised roles, such as oral and maxillofacial surgery.

I have had the pleasure of working with Miss Sharon Prince, consultant and maxillofacial surgeon in Norfolk, UK. Excellent service.

The journey of women in dentistry is a powerful testament to resilience.

In 1740, Marie Madeleine Calais became the first woman licensed to practise dentistry in France. In 1866, in the US, Lucy Beaman Hobbs Taylor became the first female dentist after overcoming numerous rejections. This achievement marked a turning point in the professionalisation of women in dentistry.

Emeline Roberts Jones (1893) overcame adversity by opening her own dental practice in the US. She demonstrated the viability of a successful career in dentistry despite economic and social constraints. There was a time in the US when women were forbidden from joining dental colleges, let alone becoming dentists.

In 1895, Lilian Lindsay became the first woman to earn a formal dental degree in the UK.

When I joined Marseille University in France in 1979, 50% of students were female, many of whom already came from families of dentists and practice owners.

True equality in dentistry requires comprehensive strategies, mentorship programmes, equality policies, flexible working models, and a review of promotion criteria to break the glass ceiling.

Female dentists typically adopt a more calming approach to treatment and are often more receptive to patients’ concerns than their male counterparts.

In Mauritius, I witnessed many positive contributions of women in dentistry.

My late aunt, Dr Sadna Hurhangee, was well known for her bedside manner and motherly care over nearly 40 years of practice in Port Louis.

The late Dr Mrs Coopamah, Chief Dental Officer, supported private dentists by providing local anaesthetics during an acute shortage in the 1990s.

There is also the story of the late Dr Mrs Jhowry, who was dressed in a saree to attend a saffran (Indian wedding eve) when a patient arrived in severe pain. She proceeded to extract the tooth. Unfortunately, her saree was stained with blood even beneath her uniform, and she later had to change clothes, much to the displeasure of her husband waiting in the car. Her response was simply: “I relieved the patient,” with a smile.

The late Dr Mrs Marie-Claude Ng Sing Kwong was the first female dentist in Mauritius to introduce dental implants in the 1990s.

Dr Nita Heeralall Pyndiah and Dr Danielle Bazire were widely known for their friendly approach, which put patients — especially children — at ease.

Dr Mrs Ragini Sonah later became President of the Mauritius Dental Association after my departure from Mauritius in August 2006.

I thank all my female colleagues for their immense contribution to the oral health of the population and am pleased to see daughters of established colleagues returning to Mauritius to serve as future dentists.

Dr Randhir Seewoodharry Buguth practises as a Senior Dental Surgeon in the UK.

Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 3 July 2026