Gender representation in oral and maxillofacial radiology societies: a longitudinal multi-society analysis of speakers and leadership

BACKGROUND: Gender representation in academic dentistry is increasingly recognized as a key indicator of equity, visibility, and leadership. Scientific conferences serve as highly visible platforms for academic recognition; however, women's representation among invited speakers and leadership positions in radiology-focused dental societies remains insufficiently characterized. This study aimed to evaluate temporal and organizational patterns of gender representation among invited speakers and presidents across major international and national oral and maxillofacial radiology (OMFR) societies, and to assess whether women-led presidencies were associated with higher proportions of women invited speakers. METHODS: This retrospective observational study analyzed publicly accessible conference programs and leadership records from eight professional societies. Invited speaker gender was recorded for conferences held between 2015 and 2025, while president gender was documented from 1949 to 2025. Descriptive statistics summarized annual and organizational distributions. Temporal and organizational trends were evaluated using generalized linear mixed models with a binomial distribution and logit link, including organization as a random intercept. Additional models examined concurrent and one-year lagged effects of women presidencies on speaker composition. RESULTS: Of 490 invited speakers, 35.1% were women, with a significant increase over time and no difference between international and national societies. Among 169 presidents, 11.2% were women, and the likelihood of women presidents increased significantly across years. Gender representation varied markedly between societies. Neither concurrent nor lagged women presidencies were associated with higher proportions of women invited speakers. CONCLUSIONS: Although gender representation in OMFR societies has improved over time, it remains below parity. The lack of association between women leadership and speaker composition suggests that leadership diversity alone may not be sufficient to fully explain observed patterns in speaker representation. OMFR societies should adopt transparent, merit-based speaker selection protocols. Leadership diversity alone may be insufficient; structural reforms and continued equity monitoring may help reduce the gender gap in academic visibility.