[Personal and professional characteristics of women dentists in RSA]

Dentistry is a relatively new occupation for females in the RSA. Female dentists have particularly increased since 1975. Currently, approximately 11.4 per cent of the dental labour market consists of female dentists. Present student intakes indicate that the number of female dentists will increase to approximately 20.9 per cent within the next five years. Personal and professional characteristics of female dentists were determined by means of a survey of 55 female dentists on the Register of the South African Medical and Dental Council. Replies were received from 36 of the women, representing a response rate of 65 per cent. Female dentists are relatively young, married, their spouse mainly also in a professional occupation, and have at least two children. Factors which may have an special impact on professional activities include marital conflict due to interpersonal relationships, interaction of the mother and wife role on occupation, and lapse in service due to pregnancy. The results of this study indicate that female dentists are in general professionally and intellectually active in service. Female dentists are more inclined to private practice. Unmarried females are, as expected, professionally more active on a full-time basis in comparison to married females which are proportionally more active on a part-time basis. The respondents are mostly of the opinion that the dental profession provides sufficient occupational satisfaction to justify a professional identity for female dentists.