Women in dentistry in the United States

File:Emeline Roberts Jones.jpg became the first woman to practice dentistry in the United States in 1855.{{cite web|url=http://cwhf.org/inductees/science-health/emeline-roberts-jones |title=Emeline Roberts Jones | Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame |publisher=Cwhf.org |access-date=2012-08-04}}{{cite web|url=http://beckerexhibits.wustl.edu/mowihsp/health/womenindentistry.htm |title=Missouri Women in the Health Sciences - Health Professions - "Women in Dentistry" by E.N. King |publisher=Beckerexhibits.wustl.edu |access-date=2012-08-04}}]]

There is a long history of women in dentistry in the United States.

Timeline

=19th century=

1855: Emeline Roberts Jones became the first woman to practice dentistry in the United States. She married the dentist Daniel Jones when she was a teenager, and became his assistant in 1855.
1866: Lucy Hobbs Taylor became the first woman to graduate from a dental college (Ohio Dental College).
1869: Henriette Hirschfeld-Tiburtius, born in Germany, became the first woman to take a full college course in dentistry, as Lucy Hobbs Taylor received credit for her time in dental practice before attending dental college.{{cite web|url=http://www.cda.org/page/Library/cda_member/pubs/journal/jour0602/hyson.html |title=June 2002 CDA Journal - Feature Article, Copyright 2002 Journal of the California Dental Association |publisher=Cda.org |access-date=2012-08-04}} Henriette graduated from the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery in 1869.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YhUxAAAAIAAJ&q=henriette+hirschfeld+dentist&pg=PA1064 |title=The Dental cosmos - Google Books |access-date=2012-08-04|last1=White |first1=J. D. |last2=McQuillen |first2=John Hugh |last3=Ziegler |first3=George Jacob |last4=White |first4=James William |last5=Kirk |first5=Edward Cameron |last6=Anthony |first6=Lovick Pierce |year=1905}}{{cite web|author=Henry Drummond. |url=http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/History/History-idx?type=HTML&rgn=div1&byte=323551095 |title=History: Madison : a model city: Browse Text |publisher=Digicoll.library.wisc.edu |access-date=2012-08-04}}
1874: Fanny A. Rambarger became the second American woman to earn the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery, which she did in 1874, when she graduated from the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery. She worked in Philadelphia and limited her practice to women and children only.
1879: Nellie Chapman became in 1879 the first registered female dentist in the American western territories; that was the first year dentists in those territories had to be registered, and she was registered as number 79.{{Cite web|url=https://www.foresthillmessenger.com/news/nellie-pooler-chapman-dainty-dentist/article_c87c9efc-34cd-11ee-9b46-83feed08c24e.html|title=Nellie Pooler Chapman, Dainty Dentist|date=August 6, 2023|website=The Foresthill Messenger}}https://dentistry.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/TroDent-Spring-2016.pdf
1890: Ida Rollins became the first African-American woman to earn a dental degree in the United States, which she earned from the University of Michigan.{{cite web|url=http://www.ourweekly.com/los-angeles/black-history-fact-week-ida-gray-nelson-rollins |title=Black History Fact of the Week: Ida Gray Nelson Rollins | Our Weekly - African American News | Black News | Black Entertainment | Black America |publisher=Our Weekly |access-date=2012-08-04}}
1892: The Women's Dental Association of the U.S. was founded in 1892 by Mary Stillwell-Kuesel with 12 charter members.{{cite web|author=unknown|url=http://www.aawd.org/?page=HistoryofAAWD|title=History of AAWD |publisher=American Association of Women Dentists |access-date=May 7, 2013}}
1897: Jessie Castle La Moreaux became the first woman dentist to practice in Texas.{{Cite web |title=Jessie Castle La Moreaux |url=https://www.sindecusemuseum.org/jessie-castle-la-moreaux#:~:text=In%201897,%20La%20Moreaux%20followed,dentist%20to%20practice%20in%20Texas |access-date=2024-09-23 |website=Sindecuse Museum |language=en-US}}

=20th century=

1904-1905: Faith Sai So Leong, also called Sai So Yeong, born in China,{{cite book|author=Eric K. Curtis|title=A Century of Smiles|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7gJqAAAAMAAJ|year=1995|pages=108|publisher=University of the Pacific School of Dentistry}} became the first Chinese-American woman to graduate from a school of dentistry and become a dentist in the United States.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/22/arts/design/22museum.html|title=Museum of Chinese in America Reopens, Designed by Maya Lin|last=Rothstein|first=Edward|date=2009-09-21|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=2016-03-27}} In 1904 she became the first woman of any race to graduate from the College of Physicians and Surgeons (now the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry).{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=arHSCQAAQBAJ|title=Modern Dental Assisting|last1=Bird|first1=Doni L.|last2=Robinson|first2=Debbie S.|date=2014-04-15|publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences|isbn=9780323221214}} In 1905 she was awarded the Doctor of Dental Surgery from that school,{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YhUxAAAAIAAJ|title=The Dental Cosmos|last1=White|first1=J. D.|last2=McQuillen|first2=John Hugh|last3=Ziegler|first3=George Jacob|last4=White|first4=James William|last5=Kirk|first5=Edward Cameron|last6=Anthony|first6=Lovick Pierce|date=1905-01-01|publisher=S. S. White Dental Manufacturing Company}} and after a trial of the State Board of Dental Examiners, which delayed the awarding of licenses, she was granted a dental license in August 1905.{{Cite news|url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85066387/1905-08-12/ed-1/seq-5/#date1=1836&index=3&rows=20&words=Faith+Leong&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1922&proxtext=%2522faith+leong%2522&y=21&x=14&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1|title=The San Francisco call. (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, August 12, 1905, Image 5|newspaper=The San Francisco Call|date=1905-08-12|page=5|issn=1941-0719|access-date=2016-03-27}}
1909: Minnie Evangeline Jordon established the first dental practice in the United States devoted only to pediatric patients.{{cite book|author=Richard A. Glenner|title=How it evolved: dentistry's pursuit for excellence|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZCZqAAAAMAAJ|year=1997|publisher=ADR Publishing}}
1916: Gillette Hayden served as the first female president of the American Academy of Periodontology.{{cite web|url=https://dent.umich.edu/about-school/sindecuse-museum/grace-rogers-spalding%E2%80%94periodontics |title=Grace Rogers Spalding—Periodontics | University of Michigan School of Dentistry |publisher=Dent.umich.edu |access-date=2019-08-05}}
1920: Maude Tanner became the first recorded female delegate to the American Dental Association.{{cite web|author=Patricia Blanton |url=http://www.jdentaled.org/content/70/11_suppl/38.full |title=Women in Dentistry: Negotiating the Move to Leadership |publisher=Jdentaled.org |date=2006-11-01 |access-date=2012-08-04}}
1921: During the annual meeting of the American Dental Association (ADA), several female dentists met in Milwaukee and formed the Federation of American Women Dentists, now known as the American Association of Women Dentists (AAWD). Their first president was Minnie Evangeline Jordon.
1923: Anita Martin became the first woman inducted into the national dental honor society (Omicron Kappa Upsilon).
1925: Minnie Evangeline Jordon published the first textbook on pedodontics, titled Operative Dentistry for Children.[http://www.dent.umich.edu/about-school/sindecuse-museum/m-evangeline-jordan-pedodontics "M. Evangeline Jordan-Pedodontics"] Sindecuse Museum, University of Michigan School of Dentistry.{{cite journal|pmid=16764231|date=Spring 2006|last1=Loevy|first1=H. T.|title=M. Evangeline Jordon, Pioneer in Pedodontics|journal=Journal of the History of Dentistry|volume=54|issue=1|pages=3–8|last2=Kowitz|first2=A. A.}}M. Evangeline Jordon, [https://archive.org/details/operativedentist00jord Operative Dentistry for Children] (1925).
1951: Helen E. Myers of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a 1941 graduate of Temple University, was commissioned as the Army Dental Corps' first female dental officer in 1951.
1953: Raya Rachlin became the first woman commissioned as a United States Air Force dentist.{{Cite web|url=https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/air-force-dental-service/3/|title=Air Force Dental Service|first=Dwight|last=Zimmerman}}
1964: Jeanne Sinkford became the first female prosthodontist with a PhD degree; her degree was in Physiology, and from Northwestern University.https://www.prosthodontics.org/assets/1/7/Women-In-Prosthodontics-PDF-SM.pdf
1974: Patricia Smathers Moulton became the first woman certified by the American Board of Prosthodontics.{{Cite web |last=Parker |first=Emily |date=2015-06-01 |title=Let's Talk About Strong |url=https://www.meredith.edu/news/lets-talk-about-strong/ |access-date=2024-09-23 |website=Meredith College |language=en-US}}
1975: On July 1, 1975, Jeanne Sinkford became the first female dean of an American dental school when she was appointed the dean of Howard University School of Dentistry.
1975: Jessica Rickert became the first female American Indian dentist in America upon graduating from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry in 1975. She was a member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, and a direct descendant of the Indian chief Wahbememe (Whitepigeon).{{cite web|url=https://miwf.org/timeline/jessica-rickert/ |title=Jessica Rickert - Michigan Women Forward |publisher=Miwf.org |access-date=2019-12-09}}
1977: The American Association of Dental Schools (founded in 1923 and renamed the American Dental Education Association in 2000) had Nancy Goorey as its first female president in 1977.{{cite web|url=http://selaminternational.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=52 |title=SELAM International |publisher=SELAM International |date=2007-01-12 |access-date=2012-08-04}}
1988: The American Student Dental Association elected its first female president, N. Gail McLaurin of the Medical University of South Carolina.{{cite web|url=http://www.bu.edu/dental/asda/history.html |title=History » Dental School | Boston University |publisher=Bu.edu |date=1970-10-16 |access-date=2012-08-04}}
1991: Geraldine Morrow became the first female president of the American Dental Association.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/march/first-ada-female-president-dies-at-86|title=First ADA female president dies at 86|accessdate=7 April 2023}}
1993: Juliann Bluitt Foster became the first female president of the American College of Dentists.{{Cite web|date=2019-06-05|title=Juliann Bluitt Foster, Trailblazer in Dentistry, Is Dead at 80 {{!}} csbnnews|url=https://csbnnews.com/juliann-bluitt-foster-trailblazer-in-dentistry-is-dead-at-80/|access-date=2020-06-29|website=CSBN News}}
1997: Hazel J. Harper became the first female president of the National Dental Association.{{cite web|url=http://www.cda.org/library/cda_member/pubs/journal/jour0602/hyson.html |title=June 2002 CDA Journal - Feature Article, Copyright 2002 Journal of the California Dental Association |publisher=Cda.org |access-date=2012-08-04}}{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_T9cDAAAAMBAJ |page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_T9cDAAAAMBAJ/page/n16 17] |quote=national dental association first woman. |title=Ebony |via=Internet Archive |date=November 2000 |publisher=Johnson Publishing Company |access-date=2012-08-04}}

=21st century=

2001: Marjorie Jeffcoat became the first female editor of The Journal of the American Dental Association.{{cite web|url=http://jada.ada.org/content/132/9/1216.full |title=Dr. Marjorie K. Jeffcoat to become JADA editor |publisher=Jada.ada.org |date=2001-09-01 |access-date=2012-08-04}}
2003: Rear Admiral Carol I. Turner became the first female Chief of the Navy Dental Corps.{{cite web|author=Dan Petty |url=http://www.navy.mil/navydata/bios/navybio.asp?bioID=287 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060402224300/https://www.navy.mil/navydata/bios/navybio.asp?bioID=287 |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 2, 2006 |title=Leadership Biographies |publisher=Navy.mil |date=2008-09-04 |access-date=2012-08-04}}
2003: Nancy S. Arbree became the first female president of the American College of Prosthodontists.
2003: Rhonda Jacob became the first female American Board of Prosthodontics examiner.
2004: Sandra Madison, of Asheville, North Carolina, was elected as the first female president of the American Association of Endodontists.{{cite web|url=http://www.dentistryiq.com/index/display/article-display/206925/articles/dental-office/online-stories/dr-sandra-madison-elected-president-of-american-association-of-endodontists.html |title=Dr. Sandra Madison elected president of American Association of Endodontists |publisher=DentistryIQ |access-date=2012-08-04}}
2004: Janet Hatcher Rice became the first female president of the Academy of Laser Dentistry.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ricedentalarts.com/our-doctor/|title=Janet Hatcher Rice, D.D.S.,P.C. - Our Doctor|website=www.ricedentalarts.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.dentistryiq.com/dental-hygiene/infection-control/article/16351257/science-news-and-resources|title=StackPath|website=www.dentistryiq.com|date=May 2004 }}
2006: Jane D. Brewer became the first female president of the American Academy of Fixed Prosthodontics.
2006: Rhonda Jacob became the first female president of the American Academy of Maxillofacial Prosthetics.
2007: Kaumudi Joshipura became the NIH endowed chair and director of the center for clinical research and health promotion at University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus.{{Cite web|url=https://cdn1.sph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/411/2017/02/Joshipura-HSPH_CV_Feb_2017.pdf|title=CV|last=Joshipura|first=Kaumudi Jinraj|date=February 2017|website=Harvard School of Public Health}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/kaumudi-joshipura/|title=Kaumudi Joshipura|website=Harvard School of Public Health|access-date=2019-07-29}}
2007: Laura Kelly became the first female president of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.{{cite web|url=http://www.lkdentalstudio.com/team/LauraKelly.html |title=Meet the A Team at LK Dental Studio | Laura Kelly | President, LK Dental Studio |publisher=Lkdentalstudio.com |access-date=2012-08-04}}
2008: Beverly Largent, a pediatric dentist from Paducah, Ky., became the first female president of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.{{cite web|url=http://capitolwords.org/date/2008/06/04/E1138-3_tribute-to-beverly-largent/ |title=Tribute To Beverly Largent |publisher=Capitol Words, a project of the Sunlight Foundation|date=June 4, 2008 |access-date=May 7, 2013}}
2008: Valerie Murrah became the first female president of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology.{{cite web|url=http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/1429/138/ |title=UNC News - Murrah installed as first female president of dental specialty academy |publisher=Uncnews.unc.edu |date=2008-07-30 |access-date=2012-08-04}}
2009: Kathleen T. O'Loughlin was chosen as the first female executive director of the American Dental Association.{{cite web|url=http://www.ada.org/3266.aspx|title=Dr. Kathleen O'Loughlin Named American Dental Association Executive Director |publisher=American Dental Association |date=May 5, 2009|access-date=May 7, 2013}}
2010: Rhonda Jacob became the first female president of the American Board of Prosthodontics.
2011: Ruth Bol, a Comanche woman, became the first female president of the Society of American Indian Dentists.[https://contactpoint.pacific.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ContactPoint-fall2022.pdf Contact Point Fall 2022] Retrieved April 7, 2023.{{Cite web|url=http://www.thesaidonline.org/who-we-are|title=Board of Directors|website=www.thesaidonline.org}}
2013: Gayle Glenn was elected as the first female president of the American Association of Orthodontists.{{cite web|url=http://www.dentistrytoday.com/industry-news/9237-new-officers-elected-new-trustee-installed-at-american-association-of-orthodontists|title=New Officers Elected, New Trustee Installed At American Association Of Orthodontists |publisher=Dentistry Today |date=May 16, 2013|access-date=June 28, 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.asdablog.com/orthodontists-to-install-first-female-president/|title=Orthodontists to install first female president|publisher=www.asdablog.com |date=March 1, 2013|access-date=June 28, 2013}}