You continue to address the dentist as “Dr. You included your postnominal professionals (for example, imagine that when you go to the hospital to see an orthopedic surgeon, you see a Mr. (if you are a consultant or have passed your Royal College exams) not a Dr. Doctors are reserved for doctors (doctors) the title Mr., Miss or Mrs.
are reserved for surgeons. Dentists received the highest degree of surgeon to differentiate between the fact that their degree was surgical and when they qualified they were qualified as surgeons. In 1999, in the “Call Me Doctor” campaign, we negotiated a way to earn the highest degree or Surgeon for the “lowest” degree or Dr. as a means to gain greater respect from the public.
Dentists have doctorates and therefore consider themselves “doctors”. Is a dentist a doctor now? In most cases, no. But there are some types of dental specialists, such as oral surgeons, who undergo such rigid and extensive training that they are “dental doctors,” since they have a DDS and an MD behind their name. But is a dentist considered to be a doctor (doctor, that is)? No.
But you don't want to go to the family doctor for a dental abscess, a jaw cyst, a retained wisdom tooth, or something else. Your doctor will send you back to a dentist to get the right level of care you need to stay healthy. Unfortunately, the medical community (and even health insurance) has established a significant separation between mouth and body. But the good news is that more and more experts are realizing the life-saving benefits of the oral-systemic connection and how a licensed dentist can significantly benefit your overall health for years to come.
