31 Women dentists

There is a long history of women in dentistry.

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

Marian Spore Bush was a dentist, painter, and wife of industrial tycoon Irving T. Bush. She left her successful Michigan dental practice for a studio in Greenwich Village, New York City, and became a self-taught painter in the 1920s.

Laura Emeline Eames Chase, one of the few women dentists in St. Louis, Missouri in the 1890s, first female member of the American Dental Association.

Regina Cobb is a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives representing Arizona's Legislative District Five, alongside Sonny Borrelli.

Gertrude Elizabeth Curtis, also known as Gertrude Curtis McPherson, was an American dentist. She had a longtime practice in Harlem.

Annie Elizabeth "Bessie" Delany was an American civil rights pioneer who was the subject, along with her elder sister Sarah "Sadie" Delany, of The New York Times bestselling oral history, Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years, written by journalist Amy Hill Hearth. Delany earned a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from Columbia University in 1923. She was the second black woman licensed to practice dentistry in New York State, and became famous, with the publication of the book, when she was aged 101.

Jessie G. Garnett (1897-1976) was Boston's first black woman dentist, and the first black woman to graduate from the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine.

Tania Ghirshman (1900–1984), born Antoinette Levienne, was a French archaeologist and restorationist of Ukrainian origin. Originally a dentist, Ghirshman became involved in archaeology after her marriage to Roman Ghirshman, with whom she directed numerous excavations in Iran and Afghanistan, most notably the ancient city of Susa. She abandoned her career as a dental surgeon and adapted her skills in dentistry to restoration accompanying her husband Roman Ghirshman on all of his missions providing much practical support especially during difficult circumstances. Drawing the illustration for his works she also helped in restorative works on the excavated projects, as well as providing reproductions for her husband's publications. Her memoir, Archéologue malgré moi, was awarded a Prix Broquette-Gonin in literature by the Académie française in 1971. Her memoir gave a colourful description of her life on the missions with her husband.

Ida Gray was the first African-American woman to become a dentist in the United States. At a very young age she became an orphan when her parents died. Later in her life she became interested in dentistry when she went to work in the offices of Jonathan Taft, an early advocate for women to learn dentistry. After her apprenticeship in his office, Gray was able to pass the entrance examinations and then attended the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. When she graduated, it was widely published that she was the first African American dentist in the United States and she was promoted as a role model for women to follow. Gray practiced in Ohio before settling in Chicago, where she remained until her death.

Dr. Gillette Hayden was a pioneering dentist and periodontist in the early 20th century. She was a founder of the American Academy of Periodontology and served as the first female President of the organization in 1916. Dr. Hayden graduated from the Ohio Medical University, which later became the Ohio State University College of Dentistry, in 1902. She was the third woman to graduate from the Ohio Medical University. Dr. Hayden was born on March 2, 1880, in Greenville, Florida, and died in 1929 in Columbus at age 49 at her home at 870 Franklin Avenue.

Henriette Hirschfeld-Tiburtius was the first female dentist in Germany.

Fatima Ali Jinnah, widely known as Māder-e Millat, was a Pakistani politician, dental surgeon, stateswoman, and one of the leading founders of Pakistan. She was the younger sister of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder and the first Governor General of Pakistan.

Emeline Roberts Jones (1836–1916) was the first woman to practice dentistry in the United States.

There is a long history of women in dentistry.

Jiko Fatafehi Luveni was a Fijian politician and Speaker of the Parliament of Fiji. She was a member of the FijiFirst party before resigning her party membership in order to take up the position of Speaker. This was because the Fijian Speaker is not a Member of Parliament and cannot be a member of a political party pursuant to section 77(1)(a) and section 77(7)(b)(ii) of the Fijian Constitution.

María Eloisa Meléndez Altieri also known as Mayita, is the current mayor of the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico. She was elected during the Puerto Rican general elections of 2008, becoming the first woman elected to the office in Ponce's political history. She is also the first mayor of a party other than the Popular Democratic Party in Ponce since 1989, when Rafael Cordero Santiago became mayor. This is Mayita's second candidacy in politics on the island and her first electoral win. In the Puerto Rico's 2004 general election, Mayita presented her candidacy for a senatorial seat representing Puerto Rico's 5th district, but lost in her bid for the position. Meléndez Altieri lost her bid for reelection in the 2020 general elections to Luis Irizarry Pabon from the Popular Democratic Party.

Minnie Evangeline Jordon was an American dentist, and the first dentist in the United States to specialize in pediatric dentistry.

Niki M. Moutsopoulos is a Greek periodontist and immunologist. She is a senior investigator in the oral immunity and infection section at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Moutsopoulos specializes in oral immunology and periodontitis. Her research program focuses on host-microbial interactions that can drive chronic inflammatory responses and tissue destruction in the oral cavity.

Urooj Mumtaz Khan is a Pakistani women cricket commentator, television host, dentist, and former cricketer.

Annie Praed was one of the first two women to graduate from the University of Sydney. She was awarded a Licence in Dental Surgery in 1904 and a Bachelor of Dental Surgery in 1906. In 1938 Praed was the first woman in Australia to graduate with a Doctor of Dental Science at the same university.

Bessica Faith Raiche née Medlar, known as Bessie Raiche, was an American businesswoman, dentist, and physician.

Tabitha Solomon was one of the first women to qualify as a dentist in India, graduating from the Calcutta Dental College and Hospital in 1928. After graduation she started a dental clinic in the Chittarnjan Seva Sadan Hospital and worked at the Dufferin Hospital. A member of the Baghdadi Jewish community, she was closely involved in Jewish community causes.

Mary Haviland Stilwell Kuesel sometimes spelled Stillwell-Kuesel was a pioneer American dentist. She was the founder of the Women's Dental Association of the United States, which she founded in 1892 with 12 charter members.

Zohreh Tabibzadeh-Nouri is an Iranian dentist and conservative politician who was formerly a member of the Parliament of Iran representing Tehran, Rey, Shemiranat and Eslamshahr.

Orly Taitz is a Moldovan-American political conspiracy theorist and political candidate. A dentist, lawyer, and former real estate agent, Taitz was a figure in the "birther" movement, which promoted the conspiracy theory that Barack Obama was not a natural-born citizen eligible to serve as president of the United States. Taitz also promotes other conspiracy theories both related and unrelated to Obama. Taitz has initiated lawsuits on behalf of the "birther" movement; all were dismissed by the courts, and on one occasion Taitz was ordered to pay $20,000 as a sanction for misconduct in filing frivolous claims. Taitz has unsuccessfully run for statewide office in California three times.

Lucy Hobbs Taylor was an American school teacher and a dentist, known for being the first woman to graduate from dental school. She was originally denied admittance to the Eclectic Medical College in Cincinnati, Ohio due to her gender. Due to this, a professor in the college agreed to tutor her and encouraged her to practice dentistry. Once again, she applied to a dentistry school, this time Ohio College of Dentistry. Unfortunately, she was once again refused admittance due to her gender. From there, a college graduate agreed to tutor her, allowing her to continue her studies towards dentistry. In 1861, she decided to open her own practice instead of attempting to get into a college once again. After a year, Lucy Hobbs Taylor moved to Iowa and opened a dentistry practice. This allowed her to be accepted as a dentist without the diploma and become part of the Iowa State Dental Society. Being part of this society meant that she was also serving as the group's delegate to the American Dental Associate Convention, only 3 years after moving to Iowa. With great coincidence, that same year (1865) the Ohio College of Dentistry decided to waive the policy prohibiting women being admitted to the institution. Instantly, Taylor enrolled as a senior student thanks to her dentistry experience she had accumulated over the years. She graduated in 1866, becoming the first woman in the world to graduate from a dental college, and to receive a doctorate in dentistry.

Badri Teymourtash (1908-1995) is called "Mother of Dentistry" in Iran. She was the first female dentist in Iran.

Rear Admiral Carol Irene Baker Turner is a retired United States Navy officer who served as the first female chief of the United States Navy Dental Corps from 2003 to 2007. She also served as the commanding officer of the National Naval Dental Center at Bethesda, Maryland.

Elaine C. Wagner is a retired United States Navy rear admiral. She was the first female pediatric dentist to achieve flag rank in the United States Navy, and served as the 36th Chief of the United States Navy Dental Corps. Her retirement ceremony was held on January 9, 2017, and she was transferred to the retired list the following April, after 33 years of service in the United States Navy. She is a member of the International College of Dentists.

Caroline Louise Josephine Wells was the first professionally qualified female dentist in Ontario, Canada. She was also the first person to provide dental services in mental hospitals in Ontario, and towards the end of her career worked exclusively in these institutions.