[Dental care by women: how does that work in (the) practice?]

With a growing number of female dentists, changes in the collaboration between dentists and dental hygienists are possible. To assess the possible consequences of these changes in dentistry for cooperation with dental hygienists, two important aspects are discussed: differences in vision with respect to treatment and the profession and differences in communication styles. Female dentists seem to be more prevention-orientated and people-orientated and are therefore more like the group of female dental hygienists. The communication style of female dentists is also consistent with the style of their female colleague hygienists; wishes and expectations are more aligned with each other, which makes optimal cooperation more likely. This focus on prevention and the consistency in communication styles offer opportunities for inter-professional collaboration between dentists and dental hygienists. Does this actually mean better collaboration, however, and what about the cooperation between male dentists and female dental hygienists?