Family and Career Patterns of Women Dentists.

A study was conducted to describe the family patterns and attitudes toward dentistry of women dentists. The data for this study were collected through a questionnaire distributed to 226 women dentists selected from the 1979 membership list of the American Association of Women Dentists, with a return of 65 percent. Almost half of those surveyed had been out of dental school only 1-10 years, while approximately one-fifth had been out 30 or more years. Frequency and percentage tallies were compiled and chi-square correlations were used to compare subgroups of the sample. Analysis of the data showed that 86 percent of the women have been or are now married, while 14 percent never married. Of those who did marry, 45 percent married for the first time during the first 10 years after dental school graduation, while 49 percent married for the first time either before or during dental school. One in six has been divorced or separated. Approximately half of those who married have either one or two children, while 34 percent have no children. Sixty-nine percent of those who had children had their first child during the first 10 years after dental school graduation. Although dental school produced a strain on marriages, most marriages were happier after graduation. Conflicts between home and work were acknowledged by one-fifth of the women. Most of the women were involved in private, rather than group, practice of general dentistry. The study concluded that career satisfaction among the women dentists was very high. Approximately 90 percent of the respondents indicated they find dentistry financially rewarding; they enjoy the opportunity to be independent and to interact with their patients; and they do not find dentistry repetitious or boring. Three-fourths of the group would choose dentistry again and would encourage a daughter to do likewise. (KC)