Why Are Dentists Not Considered Doctors?

Introduction: My Journey Into Dental Titles and Public Perception

For a long time, I’ve heard the question: “Are you a real doctor?” At a family dinner once, my cousin, who just finished becoming an MD, called himself “Doctor Smith.” Then people looked at me. I had just finished dental school and was a DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery). After a quiet second, someone finally said, “But you’re not a ‘real’ doctor, right?”

That moment kind of hurt—but most dentists hear this at some point. I want to walk you through the topic, based on my own time in dental school and all the talks I’ve had with others. You’ll see why dentists aren’t called “medical doctors” even if we actually are doctors of our own area. The reason isn’t about respect or how good we are—it’s about history, what we learn in school, and the type of work we do.

Let’s break it all down.

Historical Roots: Why Dentistry and Medicine Parted Ways

Early Days: Barbers, Blacksmiths, and Healers

If you think being a dentist is fancy today, imagine doing it in the 1700s. Back then, people with tooth pain went to whoever had tools—barbers, blacksmiths, or anybody willing to pull teeth. Mouth problems were almost a mystery, something regular doctors didn’t want to handle.

On my first day of dental history class, my teacher talked about Pierre Fauchard, sometimes called the father of modern dentistry. He made dentistry a science. Still, for a long time, “real doctors” took care of the body, while dental work was seen as a totally different thing, almost like a craft.

Formal Separation: The Birth of Dental Schools

By the mid-1800s, dentistry started to become its own thing. The Baltimore College of Dental Surgery opened in 1840, the very first school that only taught dental stuff. This change wasn’t just a new school—it was when dentistry stepped away from regular medicine.

Harvard Dental School soon followed, and more dental schools opened across the country. These schools started their own ways of teaching and made dental training different from medical schools.

The Growth of Two Distinct Professions

I learned pretty quickly that this split in history made two strong but separate jobs. Medical doctors looked after the whole body; dentists took care of the mouth, teeth, and jaws. Both jobs needed lots of training and licenses. After that, the two jobs barely crossed paths, except for special areas like oral surgery.

Dentistry built its own special areas, tools, and groups, like the American Dental Association (ADA). Medicine made its own groups, like the American Medical Association (AMA), with more and more MDs and DOs.

By now, each job had its own schools, exams, rules, and even guidelines for how to act. That split, made over hundreds of years, is the main reason why people today still ask if dentists are “real doctors.”

Educational Paths: Dental School vs. Medical School

The Prerequisites: What I Needed to Begin

Before I ever started dental school, I had to make it through undergrad. I took almost the same classes as pre-med students—biology, chemistry, anatomy, and more. No matter if you want to fix bodies or mouths, you need to be good at science.

I remember sitting with future doctors in tough chemistry labs, all of us working through the same hard tests.

Degree Differences: What “Doctor” Means in Each Field

Once school started, the difference showed up. Dental students go for a DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) or DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine). These are the same—they just have different names depending on the school.

Medical students go for an MD (Doctor of Medicine) or DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine). Med students learn about everything—organs, different sicknesses, emergency medicine, and more. In dental school, I learned about teeth, jaws, gums, and everything in the mouth and face.

What’s Actually Taught: Comparing the Curricula

Don’t let anyone tell you dental school is easy—it’s not. My first year, I spent nights studying head and neck nerves, learning about baby teeth, practicing real drilling and filling, and watching how dentists work.

Here’s a simple way to see the difference:

• Dental School: Lots about the mouth’s parts, mouth sicknesses, gum health, medicines for teeth, surgeries for the mouth, and fixing teeth. I was taught many things like fillings, pulling teeth, root canals, and working with crowns, bridges, veneers, and the latest dental tools. We spend a lot of time learning about the head and neck—way more than most medical students ever do.
• Medical School: Covering the whole body—heart, lungs, brain, gut, and more. Medical students do rotations in general medicine, surgery, child health, women’s health, mental health, and so on. They learn about sicknesses all over the body and how things work together.

Both schools are tough. Each need four years after college, state exams, and lots of practice with real patients.

Residencies and the Journey After School

Here’s where things change. After dental school, some dentists start working right away. Others do more school, anywhere from two to six years, if they want to focus on something—like oral surgery, braces, root canals, or children’s dentistry.

Medical students don’t get to skip this. Every MD or DO must finish a “residency” before working alone. Some residencies are three years, but for surgeries or super-special jobs, it can be seven years or more.

Dental residencies aren’t always needed, but mine was one of the hardest periods of my life. I remember being super tired, having lots of long hours, but I knew I could handle almost anything after that.

Scope of Practice: What Dentists and Medical Doctors Really Do

The Dentist’s Domain: What I’m Truly Trained For

This is where it really matters. After all those years, what can I actually do as a dentist?

I’m an expert in the mouth, teeth, and jaws. My job is to find and treat problems in the mouth: cavities, bad gums, mouth infections, injuries, and jaw problems. I do things like fillings, pulling teeth, root canals, and cosmetic work or fixing teeth with crowns and bridges, dentures, and veneers.

When you see me, my goal is simple: keep your mouth—and even your health—strong. I spot mouth cancer, handle tooth emergencies, and watch for health problems like diabetes or heart sickness that can show up in your mouth.

The Medical Doctor’s World: Far Beyond the Mouth

Medical doctors look after the WHOLE BODY. From finding out you have a sickness to doing big surgeries, MDs and DOs are trained for almost any illness or wound. They look after health for everything, give medicine for all sorts of problems, and help organize other doctors.

Where Our Worlds Overlap & Team Up

There’s a saying: “The mouth is the mirror of the body.” I’ve seen this many times. Bad gums can lead to heart or diabetes problems. Mouth infections might mean something bigger.

One time, I had a patient with weird spots in her mouth. Later, we found out she had early leukemia. That was a reminder that dentists and doctors need to work together. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons, who sometimes have both DDS/DMD and MD degrees, are the best example: they do tough jaw and face surgeries and work closely with doctors in hospitals.

Licensing, Regulation, and Professional Bodies: Who Keeps Us in Check

Different Boards, Different Rules

Getting a license is another way the jobs are different. Dentists have to pass the National Board Dental Exam (NBDE) before they can work. Medical doctors need to pass the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE). Both go through hard tests and follow big rules.

These aren’t easy—both fields have high standards, and you have to keep learning even after school. I still remember the nerves during my board exams—that never changes for doctors or dentists.

Professional Organizations That Guide Us

The American Dental Association (ADA) is our main group for dentists, just like the American Medical Association (AMA) for doctors. These groups set the rules for how we act, push for better health, and support new research and teaching. ADA policies shape how we clean our clinics, talk to patients, and keep learning. There are other smaller groups too that help with extra training and advice.

Ethics: A Shared, But Specialized, Commitment

Being a healthcare worker comes with a special promise. Dentists and doctors each have their own oaths and rules, because our jobs cover different things. But really, both say be kind, honest, and always put the patient first.

My clinic talks about these rules every year. We go over hard cases, privacy, new studies, and tech changes. It’s an important part of the job—and proves the two worlds are more alike than different, even if our daily work isn’t the same.

What’s In a Name? Understanding the “Doctor” Title

Academic vs. Clinical Use: The Real Meaning of “Doctor”

The title “doctor” means a lot—but it also confuses people. Lots of people have doctor degrees. My neighbor has a PhD in biostatistics. She’s a “doctor,” but not the kind who sees patients.

Most people think “doctor” always means “medical doctor.” But there are all kinds in hospitals: MDs, DOs, DMDs, dentists, pharmacists, and even some nurses with doctorates. What matters most is what kind of doctor and what they are trained to do.

As a dentist, I get to say “doctor” because of my degree, what I learned, and passing the big tests. I’m a doctor for the mouth, just like a podiatrist is for feet or an eye doctor is for eyes.

The Challenge of Public Perception

Even with my degree and daily skills, dentists still deal with people not sure if we’re really “doctors.” In polls, most Americans trust their dentist—one Harris Poll said about 94% do. But some people still hesitate to call a dentist “doctor,” maybe saving that word for family or hospital doctors.

Why? A lot of it is just habit. Most people see their dentist all the time, but see a doctor only when something is really wrong. Doctors get a lot of respect because they handle emergencies, while people think of dental care as normal stuff—until they’re in pain!

Respect and Recognition: How I See My Role

I’ve learned that respect isn’t just about titles. Every time I help someone get their smile back, save a tooth, or find a scary spot early, I remember why this work is important. I might not be a “medical doctor,” but as a dental doctor, my skills matter just as much for people’s mouths.

What matters most? What we do is what counts, not just what we’re called.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons: The Perfect Bridge

Training That Crosses the Divide

Now, some dentists go even farther—oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMFS). Many get BOTH a DDS/DMD and an MD. Their training can be up to six years after dental school, working in hospitals and learning surgeries, anesthesia, and much more.

The OMFSs I’ve met can work with any medical team—running surgeries, fixing broken jaws, and doing super hard cases. Their two degrees mean they understand BOTH the dental and medical sides.

Working in Hospitals, Side by Side

Unlike most normal dentists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons work both in clinics and hospitals. They can do things like treat jaw injuries, and work with ENT doctors, plastic surgeons, and cancer doctors.

What Makes These Specialists Different

What makes oral surgeons unique isn’t just their long training—it’s their ability to help very sick people and deal with emergencies that go into both medical and dental areas. They show it’s possible for medicine and dentistry to work together if there’s enough training.

Conclusion: Appreciating Both Sides of Healthcare

In the end, asking who is a “real” doctor doesn’t help. My own experience taught me that dentistry and medicine are not enemies, and one isn’t better than the other. They are two paths based on skill, long schooling, and caring for people.

Dentists are for sure doctors of the mouth, just like MDs and DOs are doctors of the whole body. We train for years, pass exams, earn the right to help people, and keep learning. Our job might be smaller, but it still matters a lot.

So, whether you’re at the dentist or the doctor, you’re with someone who cares a lot, is well-trained, and wants the best for you. That’s what really counts.

Sources Consulted and Professional Review

To be as right as possible, I used my own experience and checked with dental pros, like Dr. Joe Dental, a board-certified periodontist and teacher. The main sources include:

• American Dental Association (ADA) and its teaching info
• American Medical Association (AMA) and its statements
• History notes from the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery and Harvard Dental School
• Articles from the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and the American Academy of Periodontology
• ADA and AAP numbers about mouth health and how it connects to the whole body

If you want to see new dental tech or labs that help us out—as I do sometimes—check out digital dental lab services or see what’s new in crown and bridge labs.

And that’s my full, simple story about why dentists aren’t called medical doctors, but are definitely doctors when it comes to the mouth. Have more questions? Reach out or comment below!