The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-08-25
Women as Dentists.

A half-grown girl sitting in dentists
chair, tall, portly sister of charity bend
ing over her, while lady on the other
side was operating on her teeth. The
scene was in the Office of DIR. Elizabeth
Morey, the only female dentist in the
city, who, after completing her work,
said: eyes, L am dentist, for fill teeth,
and that is the principal work which
entities any one to call himself or her.
self dentist. There are some female
attendants in dental offices in New York,
but none operating in the dentists chair
except myself. They cannot be called
assistant operators, as, in order to be
such, they would have to assist the prin
cipal in filing teeth and in various other
operations of the profession. The duties
OF lady attendants are to hand water for
rinsing the mouth and instruments, and
occasionally to hold a nervous lady's
head or to quiet q frightened child in
the operating chair. There are nine or
ten women registered as dentists but not
practiciug. I am the only lady in regu-
lar practice. learned dentistry from
my husband, and IN conjunction with
him have practiced it for fifteen years.
He learned dentistry from Chaplin A.
Harris, M. D. He died in 1860, and was
called by the profession in America
the father of dentistry. He founded
the first dental college in the United
States. / have invented several things
which the profession have so far approved
of as to adopt into general use. For
instance, was the first to invent the
skeleton tooth. One of my patients, q
lady had tooth that was only about one
third the size of the rest. called it a
pin tooth. It was perfectly sound, and
I did not intend to pull it out, for the
first principle of industry is to save, not
to destroy, teeth. therefore made a
tooth corresponding in size to the others,
and fitted it over the pin tooth, leaving
it intact and making the set perfect in
appearance. What are called Grown
teeth are on the same principle. That
was about twelve years ago. There are
three distinct branches of dentistry
surgical, mechanical and operative-and
I am as fully master of them all Us any
man in New York.
When asked if she thought women
were fitted for the profession of dentis-
try, she replied: I'm my opinion they
are better fitted to make good dentists
than men. The latter use too much
force. They will often crush tooth in
pulling it out. When I am obliged to
draw tooth take it out whole. Men
are perhaps better adapted for the in
vention and mechanical part than wo-
men. 1t is very injurious to delicate
eyes to work with o blow-pipe before
them, for fine gold requires u high de-
gree of heat. Dentistry is an art that de-
A. - Int
constant study, for things are daily oc-
curing that require some new inven-
ton. Out of 500 cavities not more than
two will be alike. Therefore, women
who want to become dentists should pos
sess inventive faculty."
"There is wide field in dentistry for
women, and l should like to see some
philanthropists found q school in which
women could study by themselves,
though cannot see why they should
not study in classes with the other sex
the same as lady students of medicine
and other sciences do, for dentistry is o
science and one as old as the pyramids.
It was first practiced by the BARRIERS of
Egypt. CELSIUS and Herodotes filed teeth,
but not with gold; that is o modern
American invention, and requires skill
of the highest order. Amalgam filling
can be done by the merest tyro."
SIS your practice confined to any par
ticular clasp
II have large practice among ladies'.
but my husband has still larger, for the
reason that many women object to being
treated by one of their own sex, say
ing they have no confidence in women,
but I think their prejudices would be
easily overcome, as it has been in the
case of female physicians, If ladies knew
that practitioners Of their own sex had
graduated at a regular dental college.
Ny husband prefers ladies as patients,
while l prefer gentlemen. find the
former nervous, frightened and distrust-
full Of my ability, while gentlemen sent
themselves in the pe.ation chair with an
appearance Of the greatest confidence,
undergo the operation without eroan
or q culver, and whom it is over they get
up, pay their money without murmur
and go away contented and pleased.
That's the kind of practice I like
New York Sun.