Academic dissertations by dentists in Finland, 1891-1991, and in Finland, Norway, and Sweden, 1984-93

Dental education in the Nordic countries was founded in the late 1800s, but the doctor's degree in dentistry (Ph.D.) was established somewhat later. Since the first dissertation in Finland in 1891, a total of 204 doctoral dentist candidates had defended their Ph.D. theses by 1991, 50% of them during the most recent 12 years. Over the 100-year period, 54% of the dentists' Ph.D. theses in Finland were defended at the University of Helsinki, 27% at Turku, 14% at Kuopio, and 5% at Oulu. Women constituted a minority of the candidates (23%) during the first 90 years but 54% from 1982 to 1991. From 1984 to 1993 a total of 374 dentist candidates in Finland, Norway, and Sweden defended their Ph.D. theses. The mean ages of the candidates ranged from 37.7 to 41.7 years for men and from 40.6 to 43.2 years for women. In the 10-year period on average 53 doctor's degrees were received per institute in Sweden, compared with 28 in Finland and 27 in Norway. In all three countries about 6 of 100 graduates in 1980s received a doctor's degree in dentistry. Almost all of these Ph.D. theses were written in English and based on collections of articles. Female candidates dominated in Finland (56%), compared with 34% in Sweden and 26% in Norway, where, however, women's contribution increased most rapidly, being tripled from early 1980s to 1990s.