Difference in a D.M.D. & D.D.S. Dentist
In the medical and dental world, occupations, specializations, and abbreviations abound. In dentistry, there are two potential degrees that a dentist can receive: either a D.M.D or a D.D.S. The differences between the two, however, are slight.
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D.D.S
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A dentist who holds a D.D.S. degree is a "Doctor of Dental Surgery." This degree was created in 1840 at the world's first dental school, in Maryland -- the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery. D.D.S degrees are the most commonly awarded dental degree.
D.M.D
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A dentist who bears the title D.M.D. is a "Doctor of Dental Medicine." Harvard University was the first school to award this particular degree in 1867. Prior to that, all dental graduates in the United States were awarded D.D.S degrees.
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D.D.S. versus D.M.D.
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Whether a dentist is a doctor of dental surgery or a doctor of dental medicine is actually not very important, at least in terms of what they actually do as a dentist. In both cases, dentists are licensed to practice and can carry out the same procedures. It is up to the individual dental school to decide which degree they will award; regardless of which degree is chosen, both must use the curriculum requirements set by the American Dental Association.
History
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In the United States, in 1900, only two schools awarded the D.M.D, degree -- Harvard and the University of Oregon. By 1989, nearly two-thirds of dental schools -- 23 of 66 -- used the D.M.D. designation. In 2011, the United States has 58 dental schools, 24 of which award D.M.D degrees, making the D.D.S. designation more common. For Canadian dental schools, the D.M.D. is slightly more common, with six of ten schools awarding it over the D.D.S. designation.
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References
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