Not all dentists have the same letters after their names. One dentist down the street is a “DMD” while another in the same office holds a “DDS.” As someone interested in pursuing a career in dentistry, you may have asked yourself: what’s the difference between a DMD and a DDS? You might also wonder whether there’s a difference between the two degrees in terms of earning potential, salary, and other career opportunities.
In this guide, we’ll help you understand the significance of a DMD vs. DDS degree. We’ll answer some of the most common questions on this topic and ultimately show you that the major difference between the two degrees is far less significant than you may have thought.
Is DDS vs. DMD in dentistry similar to MD vs. DO in medicine?
As someone exploring a healthcare profession, you might be aware of a similar situation in medicine—just as dentists can earn either a DDS or a DMD, physicians have the option of pursuing either an MD or DO degree. Both degrees ultimately allow them to practice medicine, but there are substantial differences between the two in regards to admissions, training, and career paths.
That’s why trying to extrapolate the MD vs. DO debate onto the discussion of DMD vs. DDS is meaningless. While there are significant differences between medicine’s two degrees, for all intents and purposes, dentistry has only one degree—it simply goes by two different names: DMD and DDS.
Is there a difference in training or accreditation between a DDS and DMD program?
Unlike medicine, dentistry has only one accrediting body for all dental schools called the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). Every dental school in the United States must follow CODA standards in both their academic and clinical training of students.
This means a graduate of a DDS program has the same knowledge and clinical skills as a graduate of a DMD program. Additionally, all dental students at DDS or DMD programs must pass the same National Dental Board exams. As the final authority on the matter, the ADA has stated:
There is no difference between the two degrees; dentists who have a DMD or DDS have the same education... Both degrees use the same curriculum requirements set by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). Generally, three or more years of undergraduate education plus four years of dental school is required to graduate and become a general dentist. State licensing boards accept either degree as equivalent, and both degrees allow licensed individuals to practice the same scope of general dentistry.
Why are there two different dental degrees if there is no difference between them?
The reason we have two different dental degrees in the United States can be traced back to 1867 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Harvard’s campus.
The first dental school in the world opened in 1840 as the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, which today is the University of Maryland School of Dentistry. This is considered the birthplace of the Doctor of Dental Surgery, or DDS degree. Several dental schools followed, and all granted the DDS degree.
However, in 1867, the Harvard Dental School (later renamed the Harvard School of Dental Medicine) was founded. As Harvard grants all degrees in Latin, they needed to find a suitable Latin name for their dental degree. The Latin translation of Doctor of Dental Surgery, Chirurgiae Dentium Doctoris, did not share the DDS acronym. After consulting a Latin scholar, Harvard authorities decided to modify the current medical degree, Medicinae Doctoris, resulting in Doctoris Medicinae Dentariae, or DMD. Today, this degree is often called a Doctor of Dental Medicine—the English translation from the original Latin (hence why it is not a DDM degree).
Since that time, all subsequent dental schools have had the option to choose whether to grant a DMD or DDS degree.
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Part 2: DMD vs. DDS: Admissions and career questions
Is it more expensive to get a DMD or DDS?
Differences in tuition between dental schools are largely based on whether a school is private or public and/or whether a student has in-state or out-of-state residency, rather than the title of the degree granted. Private schools and out-of-state residency lead to higher tuition costs generally.
Is it more difficult to get into a DMD or DDS program?
Once again, the type of degree does not correlate with difficulty of admissions. There are some DMD programs that are more competitive than some DDS programs and there are DDS programs that are more competitive than some DMD programs. Ultimately, it is the reputation of the school, not the degree, that makes one program more competitive than another.
(Suggested reading: How Hard Is It to Get Into Dental School?)
Is a DMD or DDS degree more prestigious?
Some of the most prestigious dental schools in the country include UCLA, UCSF, Columbia, Harvard and UPenn. Of those, three offer a DDS degree while two offer a DMD. One degree is not considered more prestigious than the other.
Does a DMD or DDS make you more competitive for specialty residency programs?
No, both degrees are viewed equally by specialty residency programs.
Is there a salary difference between DDS and DMD graduates?
No, both degrees provide the same earnings potential.
What other degrees can dental students pursue?
In addition to DDS or DMD, it is not uncommon to see additional letters after a dentist’s name. These typically refer to a master’s degree associated with a specialty program or an award bestowed by one of the many academies in dentistry. Below is a list of some of the potential degrees or awards you can see in addition to the DDS or DMD.
MS: Master of Science degree, which is typically awarded in conjunction with a specialty residency program.
MSD: Master of Science in Dentistry degree, which is similarly awarded in conjunction with a specialty residency program.
MPH: Master of Public Health degree, which is offered by some dental schools as a dual degree option as well as some residency programs in public health dentistry. This degree entails additional coursework in public health, epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health sciences, health policy and management, and social and behavioral sciences.
FAGD: Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry. This award requires several hundred additional hours of continuing education after dental school, in addition to passing an exam equal in difficulty to board certification exams. Only about 6 percent of general dentists in the United States have this designation.
MAGD: Master of the Academy of General Dentistry. This award requires double the amount of continuing education compared to the FAGD. Less than 2 percent of dentists in the United States have this designation.
MD: Many oral surgeons complete a six-year residency which includes the last two years of medical school, ultimately leading to an MD. Oral surgeons do have the option of completing a four-year residency program which does not include the additional two years of medical school and therefore they do not receive the MD degree.
This explanation is courtesy of Shemmassian Academic Consulting.