The sun., 1881-06-26
WOMEN As DENTISTS.
Some Remark. and Comments by One Who
Claims the Field ns n Good One.


some Remark. and Con, n, ents by One WHO
Claims the Eicid u Good One.
A half-grown girl sitting in n dentists
chair. tall. portly Sister of Charity bending
over her. while lady on tho other side was on
Grating on her teeth. was tho scene in the Office
Of DR.. Elizabeth Morey. the only female dentist
in tho city who. after completing her work.
said: Yes am dentist. for Ill teeth and
that IL tho principal work which entities any
one to call himself or herself n dcntist. There
are some iomale attendants In dental offices In
New York. but none operating In the dentists
chair except myself. They cannot be called as
sistant operators. as, in order to be such. they
would have to assist the principal In filling
teeth and In various other operations OF the
profession. The duties OF lady attendants arc
to hand wnter for rinsng the mouth napkins
and Instrument. and occasionally to hold
nervous lady's head or hands. or to
quiet frightened child in the operating chair.
There are nine or ten women registered as dem
lists. but not practising. l am the only lady in
regular practice. learned dentistry from my
husband. and in CONJUNCTION with him have prac-
tised 1t for fifteen years. He learned dentistry
from Chaplin A. Harris. ". ID. He died In 1860.
and was called by the profession in America
tho father OF dentistry" He founded the first
dental college in the United States have in
vented several things which the profession
have 30 far approved OF as to adopt into general
use. For instance. l was the first to invent tho
skeleton TOOTH One OF my patients. lady. Ind
a tooth that was only about one-third the size OF
the rest. / called 1t q pin tooth. 1t was per-
fectly sound. and did not intend to pull 1t out.
for the first principle OF dentistry is to save. and
not to destroy. teeth. therefore made tooth
corresponding in size to tho others. and fitted 1t
t.Np l. rtEfV
the set perfect in appearance. What are called
crown teeth are on the same principle. That
was about twelve years ago. There arc three
distinct branches OF dentistry-surgical. me-
chanlca and operntive-and J. am as fully mas
ter, Of them all rs any man ip New York" o,
When asked II she thought women were iittad
for the profession OF dentistry. she replied: In
my opinion they are better fitted to make good
dentists than mon. The latter use too much
force. They will often crush tooth in pulling
1t out. When am Obliged to draw tooth |
tako it out whole. Men are perhaps better
adapted for the invention and mechanical part
than women. 1t is worry injurious TO delicate
eyes TO work with blow pipe before them. for
fine gold requires high degree OF heat. Den
tstry is an art that demands not only constant
practice but constant study. for things are daily
occurring that reGrliro some new invention.
Out Of five hundred cavities not more than two
will bealike. Therefore. women who want TO be-
come dentists should possess inventive faculty.
Frank Abbott, Dean OF the New York College OF
Dontlstry. who said. nder the law OF 1872 no
one can practice save those licensed by the
State Dental Society, ana licenses are granted
only to such Ms can pass an examination by the
Board Of Consors Of thelsoeiety, or who hold a
ETY." She said: Dental colleges are ali Of re-
cent date. Not more than twenty OF the leading
dentists of Nav York were graduated at regu.
lar college. Two-thlrds OF the older prominent
dentists have no diploma among them, not even
Mr.. Abbott himself. unless 1t be an honorary
in saying there was an act passed. in
1872; There was no act passed opreyions
to 70, 1t was passed juno 20. 1879.
Ii excludes men, us we'll as women. unless they
pass the New York State Dental Society IL
| n or '7S there was bill introduced into the
Legisl lature requiring every person who had
been in tho business prior 10 the passing OF the
nct 10 pass an examination. could see no OBJ
| ject in the bill unless 1t WAS to give tho young
| dentists who had graduated regularly an oppor-
| tunty to examine the elder members. their
| Of diplomas were these last. that almost every
practising dentist in the city signed petition
| that the bill should not be passed. Several bills
| that OF 20 was passed. 1t was the first act over
passed to regulate the practice of surgery.
and j should like to SEQ some philanthropisIs
| found q school in which women could study by
themssyes tn9Hgn cannot see tn wny !a"y ss
| tho same AS lady students of'medicine and other
| sciences do, for dentistry is n science. and one
| 10y the BARRIERS OF Egypt. CELSIUS and Herodotus
| filed teeth. but not with gold-that is modern
highest order. AmalGam filling can be done by
| the molest tyro."
=" Is your practice confined to any particular
class 2"
Il have n large practice among ladies. but
| my husband has still larger Tor the reason that
many women object to being treated by one OF
! their own sex. saying they have no confidence
| in women. but | think their prejudices would
| he easily overcome as II has boen in the case OF
| female physicians, IL ladies know that practi-
| TONERS Of their own Sex had graduated at q
| regular dental college. My husband prefers
| Indies as patients. while prefer gentlemen. 1
| find the former nervous. frightened. and dis
trusttul of my ability. while gentlemen seat
| themselves in tho operating chair with an ap-
| pcnrance OF the greatest confidence, undergo
! the operation without q groan or qutver. and
| when II is over they get up. pay their money
without murmur. and go away cuntented aud
| pleased. That's the kind OF practice | ike"