Did your doctor ever ask you whether you are flossing your teeth regularly as well as did your dentist bother about your health?
Certainly not. Your doctor never asks you this rather they are conscious about your health or body related issues.
Similarly your dentist will ask you nothing but everything related to your mouth and teeth.
As a dentist is not considered as a special kind of doctor like, dermatologist or neurologist rather it is a whole new profession that’s why it’s a common question among people,
Do dentists go to medical school?
Here the answer will be no, dentists don’t go to medical school like doctors rather they go to dental schools which is a medical school related to dentistry.
Then you may have another question: do dentists need to go to medical school?
The answer is no it is not necessary because they will go to dental school and medical school is for doctors.
Who are dentists?
Dentists are oral health care professionals who are experts in dentistry.
The diagnosis, prevention and treatment of oral health are done by the dentists.
They treat periodontal disease which are related to your gum, teeth or mouth related diseases of patients and they diagnose these diseases by using x-ray and diagnostic tests.
The first and foremost responsibility of a dentist is to encourage people to maintain good oral hygiene and hygiene. If necessary, dentists also do surgery on the teeth, bones and gums.
If you have any mouth or teeth related issues then you should visit a dentist to prevent all sorts of complications.That’s why regular check up of your mouth is very important.
Why don’t dentists go to medical school?
Dentists only give oral care treatment to their patients which are related to the mouth and teeth. As they don’t give treatment related to body parts that’s why they don’t go to medical school.
They follow a different curriculum in their dental school and gain knowledge about dentistry. Though the first year subjects are almost similar in both schools, from second year the subject varies.
Even in dentistry if you want to be a dentist then you have to study more compared to other positions here like: dental hygiene. Bachelor’s degree is mandatory for becoming a dentist.
Further you have to take a degree in Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry/Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD).
In this way generally a dentist studies and if they want to become expert in a specific area then they take further degrees.
Can a dentist go to medical school?
Dentists usually go to university then dental school which takes a total of 8 years. Then they further study or receive training if they want to be an expert in a specific field of dentistry like periodontics, endodontics etc.
But in the case of a doctor they go to university then medical school. Further they have to do an internship and they take degrees on a special subject according to their competence or wish.
Though there are few similarities in dental school and medical school, the area of practice is totally different.
As dentist and doctor are two distinct professions that’s why dentists go to dental school and doctors go to medical school.
But if a dentist wants to be an expert in oral medicine and oral and maxillofacial surgery, then after completing dentistry degree from dental school she/he can receive further medical degree(MD) from medical school by enrolling into MD-integrated programs.
So if a dentist wants to go to medical school, he/she can go to medical school.
Is dentistry considered a medical field?
No rather dentistry is a whole new and separate from the medical field.
Then the question is why is dentistry not a medical speciality?
Because the system of training and schooling of a dentist and a doctor is totally different. Though there are some similarities in their education or training, overall the difference is more. That’s why dentistry is not a medical specialty like: gastroenterologist, dermatologist etc.
Health and dental both are considered as two different sectors. Especially in America they are completely two different sectors.
So, the mouth is always distinct from the rest of the body. Doctor and dentist are two different professions with one aim to serve human beings.
Do oral surgeons go to med school or dental school?
It is not mandatory to go to medical school for an oral surgeon but after earning a dentistry degree from dental school further he/she has to take at least four years to six years of residency training from the hospital.
In this training they learn about different techniques and get the solutions of different complications in dental surgery which may arise during surgery.
This experience is very important for an oral surgeon which a dentist doesn’t have after just completing a dentistry degree.
But sometimes the oral surgeon may be required to go to medical school for advanced training and education after completing dental school.
Conclusion:
We have tried our best to come up with the best answer for your question which is, “Do dentists go to medical school?”
They go to dental school which is a medical school for dentistry. We have given an elaborate answer above regarding this.
As dentists and doctors are totally different professions even dentistry is not a part of the medical field rather a whole new subject. That’s why the education system is also different here in spite of having few similarities.
Both dentists and doctors serve human beings in their own areas. That’s why both of them play an indispensable role in society and the nation.
