A dentist is a person qualified by a doctorate in dental surgery (D.D.S.) or dental medicine (D.M.D.), licensed by the state to practice dentistry, and practicing within the scope of that license. There is no difference between the two degrees: dentists who have a DMD or DDS have the same education. Universities have the prerogative to determine what degree is awarded. Both degrees use the same curriculum requirements set by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation. Generally, three or more years of undergraduate education plus four years of dental school is required to graduate and become a general dentist. State licensing boards accept either degree as equivalent, and both degrees allow licensed individuals to practice the same scope of general dentistry. Additional post-graduate training is required to become a dental specialist.
| Specialty | Taxonomy Code | |
|---|---|---|
| * | Dentist | 122300000X |
| Dental Public Health | 1223D0001X |
* Indicates primary specialty
| NPI Number | 1578587754 |
| Credentials | DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) |
| Entity | Individual |
| Enumeration date | 07/27/2006 |
| Last updated | 09/11/2025 - About 9 months ago |
| Sole proprietor1 | No |
| Identifiers |
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| Hospital affiliation | n/a |
1 A sole proprietor/sole proprietorship is an individual, and as such, is eligible for a single NPI number. The sole proprietor must apply for the NPI number using his or her own Social Security Number (SSN), not an Employer Identification Number (EIN) even if he/she has an EIN.
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