Despite women representing 97 per cent of dental hygienists and therapists in Canada, they earned, on average, 26 per cent less than men, according to a study published Monday that details imbalances in the dental workforce.
The study, published in BMC Health Services Research, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal, indicated that this significant difference was largely unexplained in its decomposition analysis.
“We further found that male dental hygienists earned significantly more than their female counterparts, despite men representing only 3 per cent of this workforce,” the study stated.
The study cited the “glass escalator” as a possible reason for the disparity. The term “glass escalator” refers to the observed pattern of men in women-dominated occupations being more likely to receive promotions and other workplace rewards compared with their female peers.
Geographical disparities
The study also identified geographical disparities. Although 17 per cent of the population lives in rural and remote areas, only 10 per cent of dentists, 15 per cent of dental hygienists, and 13 per cent of dental assistants practice in those regions. This led to workforce-to-population ratios being 1.9 times higher for dentists, 1.2 times higher for dental hygienists, and 1.3 times higher for dental assistants in urban areas compared to rural ones.
The study tallied an active oral health workforce of 12,380 dentists, 20,885 dental hygienists and therapists, and 19,780 dental assistants aged 25 to 54, based on data from the 2021 census.
For more on the gender disparity among dentists, where women earn 21 per cent less, read more.