|
| |
US Dentistry
Dentistry in the United States
In the United States, dentists earn either a D.D.S. (Doctor of Dental Surgery)
or D.M.D.(Doctor of Dental Medicine) degree. There is no difference in the
training for either degree. The degrees are equivalent, and recognized equally
by all state boards of dentistry. The most common degree awarded by dental
schools is the D.D.S. degree with only a few East Coast schools offering the
D.M.D. degree. There are 56 Accredited Dental schools in the United States
requiring 4 years of post graduate study (except for one unique 3 year program
at the University of the Pacific)[11]. Most applicants to dental school have
attained at least a B.S. or B.A. degree, however, a small percentage are
admitted after only fulfilling specific prerequisite courses. So unlike many
other countries, it can take more than 8 years to become a dentist. (List of
dental schools in the United States) The difference relates to the history
involved in the division of medicine and surgery in medical practice. There has
been a recent movement to include a 5th year of education that focuses on purely
practical training in the clinical setting. In at least one state, a state
dental license can be received without taking the licensing exam (State Board
Exam) upon completing this additional year of training.
Licensure is organized on three levels in most areas. All dentists must pass
National Boards, Regional Boards, and then take a jurisprudence exam accepted by
their state to fullfill their requirements to get a state license. Although a
state license is only valid in the issuing state, because of the regional boards
a dentist may be able to apply for licensure in any other state within the
jurisdiction of their regional board. There are many cooperative agreements
between states that allow recognition of another state's license so as to
procure a license either via "licensure by credentials" or "licensure by
reciprocity." Although a national licensure exam has yet to be made, the
American Dental Association (ADA) has worked with education and examining groups
to form such an exam.[12]
A dentist may go on for further training in a dental specialty which require an
additional 1 to 7 years of post-doctoral training. There are 9 recognized dental
specialties. They are Endodontics (root canal treatment), Oral and Maxillofacial
Pathology, Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontics
(gums), Prosthodontics (complicated dental reconstruction), Orthodontics (moving
teeth), Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (tooth removal and surgery of the oral
and related structures), and Dental Public Health. There is no specialty in
esthetic dentistry or implantology, and no additional training is required for a
dentist to make the claim of being an esthetic or cosmetic dentist. Dentists are
forbidden to claim that they are specialists in areas of practice in which there
is no recognized specialty. They may limit their practices to a single area of
dentistry, and claim that their practice is limited to that area.
Any general dentist may perform those procedures designated within the
enumerated specialties if they deem themselves competent. Many general dentists
train in certain aspects of the above specialties such as the placement and
restoration of dental implants, advanced prosthodontics and endodontics, and
have limited or heavily focused their practices to these areas. When a general
dentist performs any procedure that falls within the realm of a specialty, they
are expected to perform with the same level of expertise as a certified
specialist and are legally held to such standards with respect to any issues of
malpractice.
| |
|
