Most people have a very specific view regarding what a doctor usually is, and a lot of the time, dentists don’t really fall into that category.
But, to know exactly whether a dentist is a doctor, it’s worth looking at their training and their credentials.
Dentists will require 3-4 years of undergraduate training and 4 years of dental school to become general dentists. This is similar to how a medical doctor is trained, but the similarity doesn’t stop here.
You see, it’s not enough for someone to graduate from dental school to start practicing. They also need to pass a national and a state written exam that will provide them with their license, meaning they will be allowed to practice in a particular area.
Not only that, but dentists, like other doctors, have additional education requirements they must keep up with, such as training for a specific area of dentistry. For instance, pediatric dentists will need additional training to start treating children.
Well, it depends on what you’re thinking about when you say “doctor”.
For instance, dentists can be considered doctors simply because of their job description: they treat patients and help them get the help they need to restore and preserve their oral health. They are also trained in medicine because they often need to spot early signs of underlying conditions which can affect oral health (like diabetes), perform oral surgery, and even know what types of medications to prescribe.
However, it’s important to remember that a dentist specializes in oral care, so you probably shouldn’t expect medical advice for all kinds of health conditions.
Just like a general doctor or surgeon doesn’t know everything about oral health (but just enough to know when to recommend an appointment), dentists won’t know everything about your health.
Human health is very complicated, and it’s why we have a lot of specialties that are dedicated to treating and understanding specific conditions, parts of human anatomy, and more. So if you have an oral health issue, you see the dentist. If you struggle with other types of health problems, your best bet is the family doctor.
The debate about whether dentists are real doctors or not can lead to some heated arguments, but the important thing to remember is that when it comes to oral health, your dentist is the person most qualified to help you and your family.
If your little one is due for an appointment, our Juniper pediatric dentists are here to help!
To get started, please book a consultation at The Little Royals: Dentistry For Kids online.
If you have more questions about our services or our practice, simply call our team at (561) 510-1450 today!
