Vast Syllabus- MBBS and BDS have a vast syllabus teaching different specialties, and trying to cover them in one degree or course would be lengthy and impractical.
Procedural differences- While MBBS trains professionals for clinical examination, diagnosis, medicine, and surgical techniques, BDS is more skill-based training for precise, restorative, prosthetic, and surgical procedures.
Different workplace and scope- While MBBS doctors work at hospitals, dentists work at dental clinics. The setup and patient management also differ.
What’s the definition of a ‘doctor’?
Academic Context- The word ‘doctor’ is derived from the Latin word ‘docere,’ meaning ‘scholar.’ Hence, it was originally used for scholars. And today it’s used for one with a higher degree, like a PhD.
Medical Context - A person who is skilled in healing arts is called a doctor. [By Merriam-Webster]
According to the WHO, a doctor is a professional who studies, diagnoses, and treats human illness, injury, or physical and mental impairment.
According to the Medical Council of India, a ‘doctor’ is a professionally qualified and registered practitioner of modern and traditional medicine.
To summarize, a qualified professional who treats a living body is termed as a ‘Doctor’.
What do BDS students study?
BDS is a 5-year curriculum course. In the initial years, like MBBS, subjects include human anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology, microbiology, and pharmacology.
The final years of the BDS curriculum deal with dental subjects and specialties like endodontics, orthodontics, prosthodontics, pedodontics, and oral and maxillofacial surgery.
What do dentists do?
Dentists deal with the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of oral health conditions affecting teeth, surrounding tissues, the oral cavity, and jaws.
The routine procedures by dentists include fillings, extractions, root canal treatment, crowns, bridges, dentures, and teeth cleaning.
How do dentists work in collaboration with other specialists?
Oral surgeons- oral-maxillofacial surgeons, deal with the head and neck region and perform surgical procedures like cyst and tumor removal, cancer treatment, fracture repair, jaw reconstruction surgeries, tracheostomy etc., which is often done in conjunction with other specialists like oncologists, plastic surgeons, etc.
Anesthesiologists- help in the delivery of general anesthesia for certain dental procedures.
Oral Medicine - Common oral manifestations like ulcers, dry mouth, oral thrush, and gingivitis are indications of systemic conditions like diabetes, thyroid diseases, and nutritional deficiencies or viral infections like hepatitis, herpes, etc. These lesions often lead to a diagnosis of underlying conditions.
Congential abnomarlities- Pediatrician, dentists, physicians, and surgeons often work in collaboration for the treatment of various congenital defects and syndromes, leading to better outcomes.
Conclusion
Teeth, jaws, and oral tissues are all interconnected parts of the human body, so our oral health frequently mirrors our overall health. Furthermore, BDS doctors study the whole human body and oral cavity for five years to restore your oral health while treating you as a whole human.
Hence, any qualified professional who assists you in healing you and your body is to be respected and referred to as a ‘Doctor’.
But the fact that we still need to do this comparison shows lack of awareness and how People form judgements without understanding .
The syllabus , the effort, the time invested, the curriculum itself speaks that yes ,bds are doctors!
People often reduce professions to comparisons without understanding the different roles they play .
Every field has its own space, its own value and expertise ! That does not make them less from others . It just makes them different.
BDS isn’t ‘excluded’ from MBBS because it’s less important—it’s separated because it is a speciality by default. While an MBBS graduate has to study for several more years after their degree to become a specialist, a BDS student starts mastering the complex anatomy of the head and neck from day one. It’s a field that requires so much technical precision and surgical skill that it needs its own dedicated clinical focus. You aren’t just a generalist; you are a specialist the moment you graduate.
And i Mean you are Doctor no one denies that or can’t deny that
Rightly and proudly, I’d say yes. Apart from these we’re trained in BLS protocols as well. So yes, in a flight if they’ve called out for a doctor and need help managing a patient who’s unconscious, we are capable of handling the situation till an emergency team arrives. We’re trained as much as any professional outside the ER.
Going by the analogy the we don’t practice systemic diagnosis or treatment, would a dermatologist, radiologist or someone specialized in the non clinical subjects, would still be called a doctor? Even they practice the ‘unconventional’ realms of healthcare and are thriving. Are their integrity and knowledge are questioned?
Clear, balanced, and respectful explanation of a common debate. Well-structured and informative just minor language polishing needed. Overall, a strong piece that rightly supports dentists being called doctors.
Very true! This is a topic we often come across in everyday discussions—who should be called a doctor? It’s not just about a prefix, but about respect and supporting one another. They are two different specialties, working on different organs or parts of the body, but the ultimate goal of both is to treat the patient.
Great post, @Chanisha ! You’ve hit on a really important point: the ‘Doctor’ title isn’t just about the specific organ one treats, but the clinical expertise and the ‘healing arts’ involved in the profession.
And the answer is yes.
Firstly a huge gratitude to let this trending topic to more enlightenment,secondly this is just the lack of awareness among few masses who forget about the criteria of assessment of premedical training aka AIPMT years ago which was used for admissions to MBBS and BDS,further oral health is as important as General health,hence its tge ignorance to differentiate between MBBS & BDS,
Thank you for highlighting this topic. I strongly agree:- dentists are, without question, healthcare doctors. Our training enables us to manage complex medical situations, including immediate patient care during emergencies. While we dedicate years of rigorous training to build a future where we can provide high-quality care, it is an unfortunate reality that many in the profession struggle with high overhead costs and educational debt, making it difficult to meet financial goals, even while counterparts in other industries may seem to advance faster and they chose to label us ‘just dentist not doctor’.
Is Bds a doctor? Well these questions do arises among the society I don’t understand why this questioned is raised. I being a dental surgeon treat patients ,when patient comes with a swelling face and severe pain and we dentist treat them removes the pain and this what the doctor do .So, why this question is raised and why being doctor title to bds is still questionable
