Dentistry has changed a lot through the years, especially for women in the profession. Just ask Dr. Virginia Gregory, a dentist with her own practice in Mount Pleasant. When she started in the industry, she said there weren’t as many options for women, so she became a hygienist.
“I loved the dental profession, and I wanted to go beyond the role of hygienist,” she said.
After a time as a speech therapist, Dr. Gregory decided to apply to dental school. Now, she’s been a dentist for about 35 years, and she said some of the things that limited her choices in the field when she was just getting started are now to her advantage.
“I think the public likes women in medicine and dentistry,” she mused. “They respond well to what women bring to health care because women are perceived as caring and have traditionally had a more nurturing role.”
Dr. Gregory extends the compassion she has toward her patients to the whole of her business. She emphasized the importance of collaboration, another trait where women are often adept, as being important.
“I enjoy the business side of it,” she said. “I work with a team of intelligent, professional women. I enjoy knowing that our business supports five or six families and helps them to live. We work together to have a good practice that supports all of us.”