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Dr. George Baker, editor of Dental Times in 1865, concluded that “the very form and structure of woman unfits her for its [dental surgery] duties.” Unbeknownst to the good doctor, Emeline Roberts Jones had already established herself as the first woman to practice dentistry in the United States by tending to the teeth of numerous residents of northeastern Connecticut in the years prior to the Civil War.

At age 18, Emeline Roberts married a dentist, Dr. Daniel Jones, who had acquired his knowledge of the field from Dr. R.B. Curtiss in Winsted. There were at that time only a handful of dental colleges in the country. When Emeline displayed an interest in her husband’s profession, she was met with resistance from Jones, who accepted the contemporary belief that dentistry was no occupation for the “frail and clumsy fingers” of a woman. Not to be denied, Jones pursued her interest in dentistry clandestinely. It was only after she had secretly filled and extracted several hundred teeth and demonstrated her skill and ability that her husband finally permitted her to work on some of his patients. Grudgingly, he allowed her to practice with him at his office in Danielsonville in 1855. Four years later, she became his partner, where she enjoyed a reputation as a skilled dentist.

When her husband died in 1864, Emeline Jones was left with two young children. Nevertheless, she bravely carried on alone in order to support her family, traveling with her portable dentist’s chair to eastern Connecticut and Rhode Island. In 1876, she moved to New Haven, where she established a successful practice, which she maintained until her retirement in 1915.

In a career that spanned six decades, Emeline Roberts Jones received numerous awards and honors. In 1893, she served on the Women’s Advisory Council of the World’s Columbian Dental Conference. She was elected to the Connecticut State Dental Society in 1883, and in 1914, she was made an honorary member of the National Dental Association. The Connecticut State Dental Society, now called the Connecticut State Dental Association, awards the Emeline Roberts Jones Award, which is presented to an individual who supports and upholds the role of women in dentistry, particularly in Connecticut. To this day, the award continues to honor those who advance the legacy of women in dentistry. Additionally, she is remembered as the first woman to practice dentistry in the United States, breaking barriers for women in the field. Her contributions are also recognized as an inspiration for future generations of women entering the dental profession.

During This Time:

Industrialization & Reform   1800-1920

Related Links:

Women in Dentistry