Since the mid-1960s, the number of women in dentistry in the USA has increased dramatically, including women in dental research. Their attraction to the dental profession is motivated by the following factors: the desire to be a part of the delivery of health care in the community; independence and the opportunity to develop individual expression of career goals; and a career that is compatible with the demands of a family. There is every indication that the proportion of women in dental research will continue to increase in the next decade.