You have likely seen the degrees “DMD” and “DDS” before. Dr. Eric Jacobs, for example, has a DMD. But what do these degrees mean? What, if any, are the differences between them? We welcome you to look through our DMD vs DDS facts below to learn more.
DMD vs DDS Facts:
- DMD means Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry or Doctor of Dental Medicine. DDS means Doctor of Dental Surgery.
- DMD and DDS are ultimately the same degree, with the same education involved:
- Dentists with a DMD and dentists with a DDS both get a four-year undergraduate degree, then they go to a dental school where they study biomedical sciences and receive dental training.
- Both then need to take two exams: the National Board Dental Examination and a regional clinical exam.
- After those tests, both have to pass a state jurisprudence examination to be able to get a state license.
- There are two different names for the same degree because Harvard translates their degree titles from Latin.
- When Harvard began giving out dental degrees, rather than use the typical Doctor of Dental Surgery, which would have been translated to Chirurgae Dentium Doctoris, or CCD, they opted to use Dentariae Medicinae Doctoris, or DMD.
- Whether a dentist gets a DMD or a DDS essentially depends on what name their university uses for the degree.
If you would like to schedule an appointment with our dentist in Marietta, Georgia, call Dogwood Dental today at 770-926-6886!
