Does Gender Matter In A Dentist?

Would you rather have a male or female dentist or does it even matter? Some females would rather have females while others would be more comfortable with a man. Some men feel more comfortable with a male doctor and others prefer a female. Lots of patients don'€™t care one way or the other. For these open minded patients, it'€™s more about the individual than whether they are a man or a woman. Some across the board œmusts for patients include:

Quality of care: All patients want high quality care by a competent and savvy professional. 

Latest technology: There have been many innovative changes in dentistry over the years such as digital x-rays, ultrasonic cleaning, Zoom whitening, dental implants rather than dentures and much more. It's important to find a DDS who keeps up with the latest and greatest advances in the field.

Friendly and welcoming office staff: Not only the dentist matters when it comes to a comfortable experience in the dental office. The receptionist, billing clerks, assistants and hygienists should all be courteous and professional. One rude apple spoils the whole bunch.

Prompt and punctual: No one wants to cool their heels in the waiting room for hours on end because of tardiness issues. A well run office will be respectful of everyone's schedule. No one has time to wait around because of sloppy scheduling.

Male vs. female dentist: Many ideas related to genders in professionals are stereotypical and untrue. For example, not all female DDSs are more nurturing and gentle and not all males have large, cumbersome hands. Did you know that fine motor skills and manual dexterity (i.e. using their hands) is a must to become a dental professional? The ADA studied the gender differences in dentists from 1979 to 1999 and found the following:

Hours worked: In their study, the ADA found that men worked longer hours per week than their female counterparts, 40 hours/week vs. 36 hours/week.

Part-time vs. full-time: In this study, it was found that females of child bearing age worked part-time more frequently than men when they had children at home. As a dental practitioner ages, he or she will work fewer hours, as well. DDSs over age 55 worked fewer hours than those who were younger.

Ratios over the years: As the years have progressed the men to women ratio of dentistry professionals has evened out somewhat. A few decades ago, less than 10% of DDSs were woman and today it's closer to 60/40. It should be 50/50 before we know it.

In the olden days: As recently as 1970, there were no American female dentists. In Utah, there are still fewer than 3% female dentists practicing.

Does it matter if your dentist is a man or a woman? The more progressive and open minded a person is, the more likely it is that they won'€™t care one way or another. A mouth, gums and teeth are part of every human beings anatomy, no matter what their gender, so why should the sex of a doctor make a difference to a patient?