Dear RDH:
With reference to July RDH and the article "Working for Her," I ask Dianne Glasscoe (and all dental hygienists), "Can`t we please work with each other?"
Dental hygiene needs to upgrade a lot of its terminology. Can`t we say practice like a professional instead of work. So maybe the title for that article should be, "Practicing with Her."
I am a female dentist, as the author called us. Dr. Dorothy Hard of University of Michigan fame once said, "I am a woman and a dentist, but there`s no such thing as a woman dentist."
The lady who ran out of the clinic in tears of frustration probably needed more sleep, more exercise, and a nourishing, unhurried breakfast. She probably had a home, husband, children, and elderly parents to look after, in addition to her dental practice. Rarely does the "him" dentist have all that ... The author`s description of the "female dentist" didn`t shake me up, but we really don`t want to be "typecast."
Esther Wilkins, RDH, DMD
Boston, Massachusetts
Editor`s Note: Glasscoe, the author, did not write the headline. In terms of typecasting female dentists, she wrote in the article, "The observations I have made in this article are general in nature, and, certainly, there are exceptions." She also wrote, "In return, dental-office employees should be committed to giving their employers the respect and loyalty they deserve." Glasscoe also wrote that she based the article on "my own experience ... and other dental staff members." In our opinion, she just wrote an "entertaining" article that made casual comparisons between male and female dentists.
