The work patterns of male and female dental practitioners in the United Kingdom

Aim: The aim of the study was to determine differences between male and fem ale dental practitioners in the type of dentistry they practice, and their working practice, and to compare these data to previously published studies of the working practices of female dentists in the United Kingdom. Design: A postal questionnaire survey, Participants: A 1 in 10 sample of individua ls taken from the UK Dentists Register. Results: The data revealed that wom en dentists are more likely than male dentists to work in the Community Den tal Service. Within general dental practice women are more likely to work p art-time, to carry out National Health Service treatment and to specialise in orthodontics or paediatric dentistry. More women than men take career br eaks, and the reasons for taking career breaks differ between male and fema les. Women take longer career breaks on average. However, differences betwe en male and female practitioners in the total duration of their career brea ks are largely accounted for by child rearing. Finally, male dental practit ioners are more likely than female dental practitioners to report reading p rofessional journals. The findings are analysed in the light of previous su rveys of the working practices of female dental practitioners both within t he United Kingdom and internationally. Conclusion: The main finding reporte d here is that there are no differences between men and women in the number and length of career breaks taken, if childcare is excluded.