# DDS & DMD: What's the Diff?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dds-dmd-whats-the-diff/258629>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 6, 2004, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dds-dmd-whats-the-diff/258629 "2004-08-06T15:30:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jebert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@jebert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jebert)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2004, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dds-dmd-whats-the-diff/258629/1 "2004-08-06T15:30:06Z")

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Simple question: What are the differences, if any, between dentists designated DDS vs those designated DMD?

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**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2004, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dds-dmd-whats-the-diff/258629/2 "2004-08-06T15:36:25Z")

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No difference. Different schools use different letters, but they follow the same ADA-approved curriculum.

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**Author:** ![Joe\_Mahma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@Joe\_Mahma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Mahma)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2004, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dds-dmd-whats-the-diff/258629/3 "2004-08-07T19:02:29Z")

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When my ex-brother-in-law was about graduate from dental school, he told me that the school asked each graduating student whether they wanted D.D.S. or D.M.D. on their diploma.