Are There More Male or Female Dentists? An Overview of Dental Profession Gender Demographics

Reviewed for accuracy by Dr. Joe Dental, DDS

Table of Contents

a. Global vs. National Trends

b. Percentage Breakdown: Male vs. Female Dentists

c. The Growing Majority in Dental Schools

a. The Early Years: Traditionally Male-Dominated

b. Key Milestones for Women in Dentistry

c. What Caused the Demographic Change?

a. Rising Female Enrollment in Dental Schools

b. Changing Perceptions of Dentistry

c. Work-Life Balance and Flexibility

d. Access and Opportunity for Women

e. Retirement Trends Among Male Dentists

a. Specialties With More Women

b. Where Men Still Dominate

c. Why Do These Specialty Choices Happen?

a. Dental Practice Ownership and Models

b. Leadership and Career Advancement

c. What Patients Want

d. Workforce Diversity Benefits

a. Growth of Female Dentists

b. Will Dentistry Become Female-Majority?

c. Toward Gender Equity and Inclusion

Introduction: My Journey Into the Dentist Gender Question

When I first walked into a dentist’s office as a kid, I didn’t even think about if my dentist was a man or a woman. To me, the dentist was just someone who could stop my tooth from hurting. Later, after working in and around dental offices, I started hearing more about the topic of gender in dentistry. People started talking about how the group of dentists is changing, how that might matter for the future, and what these changes mean for both people who work in dentistry and for patients.

I talked with friends going to dental school and saw the split between men and women at meetings and events. I learned from teachers, dentists, and even Dr. Joe Dental, who has seen these changes happen year after year. What I found surprised me and made me understand why the number of men and women in the field matters for everyone. I want to share the facts and also show what these changes mean for dentists, patients, and the dental world as a whole.

Let’s take a simple, straight look at the changes in dentist gender—with a little insight from my own experiences, too.

The Current Snapshot: What Do the Numbers Say?

Global vs. National Trends

First, it’s important to understand that dentist gender numbers are not the same in every country. Some places—like the United States and United Kingdom—have seen women dentists grow quickly. Other spots are catching up, but the same trend is happening.

In most countries, the number of women in dentistry has gone up a lot in the last twenty years. When I checked data from groups like the American Dental Association (ADA), the General Dental Council (GDC) in the UK, and dental groups in Canada and Australia, I saw the same thing: there are still more men as dentists, but the gap is getting smaller—and it’s happening fast.

The most important thing: among young dentists and dental students, women are now often the majority.

Percentage Breakdown: Male vs. Female Dentists (Latest Data)

Numbers speak for themselves. Here are some simple facts from recent years (checked by Dr. Joe Dental for accuracy):

So, in most places, male dentists are still the majority—for now. But if you look at dentists under age 35, the story changes. In the US, about 60% of dentists under 35 are women. About 55–57% of new dental students are women, and have been for years.

The Growing Majority in Dental Schools

I spoke to someone who helps students get into dental school, and she told me straight out: “Most of our new students are women, and they have been for quite a while now.” This matches up with national numbers from groups like the American Dental Education Association (ADEA): women are now the majority of dental students. I’ve also seen dental school graduation photos where there are more women than men wearing the cap and gown.

Dental schools today really show what the job will look like soon. In a few years, women will outnumber men, sometimes by a lot.

A Historical Perspective: How Dentistry’s Gender Ratio Has Shifted

The Early Years: Traditionally Male-Dominated

It’s pretty interesting to look at old photos and books from the early 1900s. Back then, almost every dentist was a man. For many years, being a dentist was a “men only” club, especially in places like the US and UK. It was not easy for women to become dentists, and those who did had a hard time being taken seriously.

For example, in the United States, women made up less than 20% of the dental workforce even in the early 2000s. In 2001, only around 17.6% of dentists were women. It looked the same in other countries. It was rare to see women owning dental clinics or being a dental school dean.

The Rise of Women in Dentistry: Key Milestones and Eras

Change took time. From what I saw, three things made a difference:

• People changed their views about women in healthcare
• Laws made it easier for more people to go to school
• Strong female role models in dentistry

In the 1980s and 1990s, more women started going to dental school and doing well. By the 2000s, even more joined. I remember a dentist telling me how different his own graduation was compared to his dad’s years ago—instead of just men, there were women too, and often at the top of the class.

What Caused the Demographic Change?

It’s easy to just call it “progress,” but it’s a mix of reasons. The main idea: as it got easier for women to get into the field, and as more support showed up, more women joined dentistry—and they started to make their mark.

Why the Shift? Understanding the Contributing Factors

Talking to young dentists at events and workshops, I always ask why they chose dentistry. Their answers have changed a lot in recent years.

Let’s look at the main reasons:

Rising Female Enrollment in Dental Schools

When schools and leaders started encouraging girls to join science and medicine, more women applied for dental school. By about 2010, women were more than half of all new students in lots of countries. Some dental classes today are almost two-thirds women.

Changing Perceptions of Dentistry

Dentistry used to be seen as a “man’s job”—lots of heavy lifting, long hours. But with new technology (like you’ll see at any digital dental lab), things have changed. Now, dental work is about being careful, friendly, and good at talking to people. These skills open the field to everyone, but many women have told me they feel more welcome now.

Work-Life Balance and Flexibility

Dentistry lets you pick your hours more than some other health jobs. I’ve talked to several female dentists who said this was a big reason they chose this career. You can work part-time, join a group practice, or even work with a removable denture lab from home. This helps when you want to balance job and family life.

Access and Opportunity for Women

Special programs, scholarships, and meetings aimed at women helped close the gap. Groups and mentors for women and more women in charge at dental schools have made the field more open.

Retirement Trends Among Male Dentists

Here’s something I hadn’t thought of before: as older, mostly male dentists retire, more women move into these spots, taking on more experience and leadership. This is speeding up the changes.

Gender Distribution Across Dental Specialties

Not every type of dental job has the same split between men and women. I noticed different patterns when I watched specialists at work or went to dental events.

Specialties With More Women

Pediatric dentistry—you know, dentists for kids—is now mostly women in many places. Around 60–70% of pediatric dentists are women according to the numbers I’ve seen. Many women also work in orthodontics, with even more joining every year.

Why? My friends in these fields say jobs with regular hours or those that focus on families are popular with women. Some patients even say they like a “gentler touch” for their kids.

Where Men Still Dominate

On the other hand, jobs like oral and maxillofacial surgery are still 85–95% men in many countries. The same goes for endodontics and some surgery-focused jobs.

When I asked Dr. Joe Dental why, he said these jobs often mean hospital work, long (and sometimes odd) hours, and lots of extra training—things that sometimes make it tough for people raising kids. But this is changing, just slowly.

Why Do These Specialty Choices Happen?

You can’t say it’s only about lifestyle. It’s also about old traditions, mentorship, the kinds of patients you see, and who refers work to you. People pick their career for many reasons, but when we look at the big picture, these trends are clear.

Implications of a Changing Gender Landscape

As more women become dentists, it changes way more than just who is doing the work.

Dental Practice Ownership and Models

Right now, men still own most dental clinics, mainly the older ones. But every year, I see more women becoming owners, usually in group settings or partnerships instead of working alone. Many younger dentists—no matter their gender—say solo practice isn’t as appealing now.

Leadership and Career Advancement

This is where big changes are happening, fast. I’ve met female dental school deans, women leading huge research projects, and women running local dental groups. The old limits on women in charge aren’t gone, but they get smaller every year. More women are moving into these top jobs, though there’s still work to do.

What Patients Want

Some patients prefer female dentists—it might be comfort, culture, or something else. Having both male and female dentists means people can pick who feels right for them, which can make them happier with their care.

Workforce Diversity Benefits

Diversity isn’t just a word people use—having all kinds of people working together makes for better patient care, more ideas, and a stronger dental world. Teams made of both men and women (and lots of other types of people) are usually more creative and work better together.

The Future of Dentistry: What’s Next?

Growth of Female Dentists

All facts show the number of women in dentistry will keep growing. Dental schools are still mostly women, and from what I see, more women are planning to be dentists every year.

Will Dentistry Become Female-Majority?

Short answer: yes, and pretty soon. In the US and UK, the switch to more women than men is only a few years away, if it hasn’t happened for new dentists already. Canada and Australia are going the same way. By 2030, the “average” dentist will likely be a woman.

Toward Gender Equity and Inclusion

But it’s not just about numbers. Female dentists still deal with problems like unfair pay, fewer leadership chances, or bias about what specialties they “should” work in. Dental groups like the ADA and ADEA are working on programs and policies to help. True fairness means chances for everyone—and making sure everyone has a mentor, a fair shot at jobs, and a workplace that welcomes differences.

One speaker at a dental meeting said, “Let’s not just flip the old idea. Let’s make dentistry a place where everyone, no matter their gender, can do well.”

Conclusion: The Positive Outlook for a Diverse Dental Workforce

So, are there more male or female dentists? The real answer depends on where you look and how old the dentists are. Right now, men are still the majority of working dentists in most countries, but women are catching up really fast. If you look at dental students and younger dentists, women already take the lead, and it looks like most dentists will be women in the near future.

From what I’ve seen, this change is great for dentists, for patients, and for dentistry as a whole.

The next time you see your dentist, remember the big shift happening in the background. The dental field is turning into a more open, stronger, and more flexible place. If you’re interested in dental school, thinking about a specialty, or just want to know more about who takes care of teeth in your town, the future is bright—and way more balanced.

If you want to dig deeper into things like dental school steps, dental specialties, or work-life balance for dentists, there are lots of good resources online. And if you’re interested in new technology in dental care, you could check out a digital dental lab or see how a removable denture lab does things differently.

In the end, it’s not just about counting people—it’s about making a job where every dentist, man or woman, can make a real difference. That’s a future I’m happy to support.

Reviewed and fact-checked by Dr. Joe Dental, DDS

For more on how the dental workforce is changing, check out reports from the American Dental Association (ADA) and your country’s dental group.