19 Apr Are Dentists Physicians? What They Have in Common and What They Do No

When the average person thinks about healthcare providers, they think about physicians—medical doctors who diagnose disease, treat illness, and help provide general well-being. But what then about dentists? They’re physicians. So, “are dentists physicians” by definition, or are they a unique class unto themselves?

The response is not so cut-and-dry as a yes or no. Although both professions entail decades of sophisticated training, clinical practice, and licensure, the distinction lies in their “sphere of expertise, scope of practice, and the way that the practice of medicine makes the title of physician work.
Let us parse the facts in order to clarify this.

The Definition of a Physician vs. a Dentist

A doctor in medical science is most commonly known as an individual with an MD (Doctor of Medicine) or DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) degree. Doctors diagnose and treat all types of diseases of the whole body, from internal medicine to pediatrics, psychiatry, cardiology, etc. The doctors finish their undergraduate education, four years of medical school, and a minimum of three years of residency training. Some go on further in fellowship training in subspecialties.

A dental surgeon, however, receives a DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) or DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine) degree. The degrees are nearly the same, and coursework at the dental school is nearly the same whether one degree or the other is given. Dentists are experts in oral health, i.e., teeth, gums, jaw, and other related structures. They go on to four years of dental school after an undergraduate degree and need to pass challenging national and state board exams in order to be licensed practitioners.
Both dentists and physicians are doctors” on an academic basis; Physician,” however, is legally and professionally reserved for MDs and DOs who are specialists in general medicine.

Why the Confusion?

The reason that they get confused is most often because dentists do so many things that sound really much like what a doctor does. They diagnose disease, perform operations (like extractions or implants), prescribe medicine, and even administer shots of anesthetic. They even address them as Doctor because they have a doctor’s degree.

Also, all systemic diseases—diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmune disease—bear oral presentations first noted by dentists. Dentists are not only dealing with oral disease but assisting in the diagnosis of more generalized medical sickness as well. So, many would place them on a par with physicians. But even as there are such points of convergence, training, scope, and definition of law remain different.

Educational and Professional Paths

While both professions require extensive education and clinical training, they diverge on so many fronts.

Physicians take the following path:

1. Four-year undergraduate degree, usually in biology, chemistry, or a science of some sort.
2. Four years of medical school.
3. Three to seven years of residency training, depending on the specialty.
4. Passing of licensing exams (USMLE or COMLEX).
5. Board certification and fellowship training at one’s option.

Dentists have a similar but distinct path:

1. Four-year baccalaureate degree.
2. Four years of dental school, completing a DDS or DMD.
3. Licensure exams such as the NBDE (National Board Dental Examination).
4. Residency training is an option for those interested in specializing in fields such as orthodontics, oral surgery, endodontics, or periodontics.

Also noteworthy is that oral and maxillofacial surgeons are dentists who probably have more surgical training—even an MD under double-degree programs. They work in a specialty full of mainstream medicine, and in a hospital environment, they may be granted the same privileges as physicians.

Scope of Practice and Patient Care

The basic distinction is one of scope. Doctors diagnose and treat a broad spectrum of physical diseases and illnesses that impact all the body’s systems. They treat chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and asthma, and they perform surgery, give birth, and treat mental illness.

Dentists, nevertheless, work with jaw, gum, tooth, and mouth conditions. Preventive care, restorative care (such as fillings, crowns, and bridges), surgery such as wisdom teeth extraction, and disease treatment, such as periodontitis or mouth cancer, are part of their job.
Though doctors typically treat the entire body and heal systemic illness, dentists treat local disease—but no less important. Science demonstrates a strong relationship between oral and systemic health, so dental treatment is an important component of overall health.

Legal and Professional Classification

Legally, doctors and dentists are placed in different medical categories. Dentists are licensed and regulated by dental boards, and physicians are under medical boards. Both are told how to work together whenever needed but primarily separately.

While both are doctors, only those who have an MD or DO degree are technically referred to as physicians. This is made official, especially in insurance coding, hospital privileges, and malpractice law, where language is codified.
That notwithstanding, dentists are providers of health care under American law, and dentists frequently consult on multidisciplinary teams of physicians, notably in such specialty domains as oncology, cardiology, and surgery.

Do Dentists and Physicians Work Together?

Indeed,  Interaction among physicians and dentists is escalating, notably within such areas as:

1. Treatment of oral cancer
2. Prevention of heart disease
3. Treatment of diabetes
4. Treatment of sleep apnea  
5. Detection of infectious diseases

Dentists may refer patients to physicians if they find systemic problems, and physicians may refer patients to dentists for oral examination when the patient has a chronic disease. This reciprocal method provides balanced treatment for the patient.

Final Thoughts

So, then, are physicians dentists? No, at least not in law, tradition, or the medical profession’s perception. They are not MDs or DOs, nor do they examine patients for general medicine. They are doctors, though—professionals of dentistry and valuable members of the health team.

Both dentists and doctors play an important part in your total health. Remembering they have their education and responsibility helps us appreciate how both of them are essential to making us healthy, from head to toe, and particularly from tooth to heart.