Are Dentists Medical Doctors?

Dentists, like the one in our Maple Grove office, and medical doctors have important differences and similarities to consider. Medical doctors and dentists both have to have a doctoral or professional degree in order to practice medicine or dentistry. However, there are different programs for medicine and dentistry. While looking at their duties, there are similarities, including diagnosing and giving medicine. There are also many differences. Medical doctors can give vaccines and analyze the patient’s entire body and mental health. Dentists focus on oral health including teeth and gums. While they both can be called “doctors” because of the amount of schooling required, dentists are not certified to diagnose medical problems besides that of your teeth and medical doctors can’t identify problems with your teeth. Dentists and medical doctors are two separate certifications, but both are important to your overall health.