DMD Degree: Understanding Doctor of Dental Medicine

D.M.D. is the degree awarded to graduates of some schools of dentistry in several countries including the United States. Other United States schools award the D.D.S. degree.

Origin of D.M.D.

• D.M.D. is an abbreviation for "Doctor of Dental Medicine" in its Latin form, 'Dentariae Medicinae Doctor'. Though not the first United States school of Dentistry, the Harvard Dental School, now named Harvard School of Dental Medicine, was the first to award the D.M.D. degree instead of D.D.S. Harvard names its degrees using words of Latin origin.

D.M.D. versus D.D.S.

• According to U.S. National Library of Medicine, the training of recipients of the D.M.D. and D.D.S. degrees is equivalent. The existence of the two different degrees causes some confusion in the United States, with some lay persons perceiving a greater level of expertise amongst recipients of one degree over the other.

Practice of Dentistry

• D.M.D. and D.D.S. degree recipients, if properly licensed, are able to practice dentistry. Both are known as dentists.