Dental education for women dentists in the United States: The beginnings

During the 19th century, dentistry was changing from a craft that was usually transmitted by a preceptor to a science that was taught in established schools. The first dental school, established in 1827 in Bainbridge, Ohio, was soon followed by a large number of proprietary and freestanding schools of dentistry. However, no matter what the status of the dental school, none would admit women. In contrast, the first woman to be admitted to a medical college graduated in 1849. The Ohio College of Dental Surgery was the first dental school to open its doors to a woman and granted a degree to Lucy Beaman Hobbs Taylor in 1866. Although the number of women to graduate from dental school increased, the number was small compared to the increase in male graduates. By 1893, about 200 women had graduated with degrees in dentistry, including a number who came from outside the United States.