I’m not talking about oral surgeons, orthodontists or other “specialists” – just the everyday family/general dentist. What’s the difference in degrees behind the name?
I know one is supposed to indicate surgery and the other medicine, but are they simply leftover designations from a time when different dental schools actually taught different curricula, or do they still indicate different courses of study? Will one be more qualified to drill my teeth, while the other can fit me for dentures better, and so on?
The son (DMD) of my regular dentist (DDS) told me that it’s just a change in nomenclature. He also told me that dentists don’t have to go through residencey as other medical doctors do. They can, but don’t have to.
Barbitu8’s right, to an extent. It’s not just nomenclature, but it also depends on what school the dentist in question attended. There’s no real difference between the degrees, or the training. Both are equally capable. But some schools use DDS, and others use DMD.
(Source: My mother, who was a dental assistant before getting her nursing degree)
