# Dentistry - DDS vs. DMD

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dentistry-dds-vs-dmd/68831>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 14, 2001, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dentistry-dds-vs-dmd/68831 "2001-06-14T18:33:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2001, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dentistry-dds-vs-dmd/68831/1 "2001-06-14T18:33:15Z")

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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?

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**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2001, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dentistry-dds-vs-dmd/68831/2 "2001-06-14T18:58:30Z")

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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.

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**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2001, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dentistry-dds-vs-dmd/68831/3 "2001-06-14T21:54:42Z")

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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)

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**Author:** ![dqa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dqa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dqa)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2001, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dentistry-dds-vs-dmd/68831/4 "2001-06-15T00:00:06Z")

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Google is a wonderful thing.  
[http://www.smiledoc.com/dentist/degrees.html](http://www.smiledoc.com/dentist/degrees.html)

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**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2001, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dentistry-dds-vs-dmd/68831/5 "2001-06-15T02:19:03Z")

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I have a \* painless \* dentist. He has no windows in his office. 😃

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**Author:** ![Phobos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Phobos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phobos)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2001, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dentistry-dds-vs-dmd/68831/6 "2001-06-15T12:34:32Z")

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That’s _paneless_ 😉