A Monstrous Regiment of Women? Attitudes to the Vanguard of Female Dentists by Rufus Ross Abstract by Jo Cummins The history of early women dental practitioners makes hair-raising reading. An extract from the British Journal of Dental Science, 1885: 'It would appear likely that in England, lady dentists will prove a development only of the far distant future, if at all.' The writer goes on to say that he doesn't question women's ability to acquire the knowledge and skill necessary to be dentists, but wonders whether the physical conditions of the work would be too much for them. After all, some men buckled under the strain of standing at a chair for many hours, continually exercising slight muscular effort while subject to noxious influences. (He does concede that women have a delicate touch, and are more patient and better at sympathising with child patients.) dentaltownuk.com \\ OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 41http://www.dentaltownuk.com