Dentists calling themselves Doctors

If you have a PhD you have the right to call yourself Doctor/Dr... anything else and you don't have the right. Q.E.D.

No idea about qualifications for a dentist but if they have a PhD fair dos, if not, they shouldn't be using it.
 
footman said:
Sadly typical reaction of a medical doctor in belittling the skills of others.
Click to expand...

Sadly typical reaction of someone who can't seem to comprehend humour ...

As for the OP. PhDs are very very hard and should be rightly recognised as so. However, if you think getting a PhD (from a decent institution) is anyway comparable to attaining consultancy (at a decent hospital) then are sorely mistaken. Gaining a consultancy is more life consuming, more competitive and far more demanding. As for dentists well I'll keep my opinion to myself on that one and stick to the two things I have direct experience of.
 
bottletop said:
I noticed on my last trip to the dental surgery that all the dentists working there were using the title Dr. xxxx. I can't recall their qualifications, but it seems unlikely all 4 had a PhD or the necessary medical qualification to justify that title.

I have a PhD, so can use the title Doctor although I never do - not even in front of the "Doctors" at the dentists :D

Recently the ASA upheld a complaint about this, readable here http://www.asa.org.uk/Rulings/Adjudications/2012/12/Woodvale-Clinic/SHP_ADJ_206574.aspx

And another report here http://www.consultingroom.com/blog/...d-to-call-themselves-doctors?-no,-say-the-asa.

I understand the General Dental Council Standards Committee has also recommended Dentists stop using the term as well, unless qualified to.

So what do people think? Is your Dentist a Doctor or not? Does it actually matter?
Click to expand...

I take it a few ways ...

#1 people like to use the title to put themselves above others in hopes that you will give them more power, credence, or just agree with what they say.

#2 I assume the UK tries to curtail this because there are actually people whom buy into this and the UK seems to think that the only people in the world that can make reasonable medical decisions is people with an MD besides their name (as if they never make mistakes).

perhaps its a good thing or bad thing ... I mean so many people these days call themselves doctors even without the degree; but with the degree phd dds, dc, md etc ...

#3 Its wierd but in the states this is never an issue; you mess up you get sured or even if you dont ;) - you misdiagnois and the patient has a problem you get sued... although not all the time. And there are a ton of charletons out there.
 
Xordium said:
Gaining a consultancy is more life consuming, more competitive and far more demanding. As for dentists well I'll keep my opinion to myself on that one and stick to the two things I have direct experience of.
Click to expand...

So life consuming that you've had time to post in here 6000 times?:confused:
 
Ah the PHD, the last bastion for people that really really don't want to get a job ;)

Usually useless, always overrated (especially by the people that have them).

Unless you're actually putting it to good use by doing something like working at CERN or similar they are a waste of time really.
 
Wow there's some doctorate elitism round here!

Get a PhD for writing about medieval lime kilns or abstact critical theory in literature? Ok. Study for 5+ years, learn all about the complex workings of the human body, disease, treatment and prevention, save lives every day? Fraud! Go on to refine your skills for an further 5 years of learning and continual assessment and move into general practice? Even bigger fraud!

I suppose all of you PhDs and D.Phils were awarded your Doctorates for your lifelong dedication to the acquisition of knowledge and the sharing of that knowledge through teaching.
 
At my local Dentist the ones who are bachelors/masters of dentistry use the title "Mr" and the ones who are doctors of dentistry use the title "Doctor", makes sense to me. Its not like the level of qualification is super relevant when looking at or maybe replacing a filling.
 
WillyNelson said:
Wow there's some doctorate elitism round here!

Get a PhD for writing about medieval lime kilns or abstact critical theory in literature? Ok. Study for 5+ years, learn all about the complex workings of the human body, disease, treatment and prevention, save lives every day? Fraud! Go on to refine your skills for an further 5 years of learning and continual assessment and move into general practice? Even bigger fraud!

I suppose all of you PhDs and D.Phils were awarded your Doctorates for your lifelong dedication to the acquisition of knowledge and the sharing of that knowledge through teaching.
Click to expand...

No-one is saying becoming a medical doctor doesn't take a considerable amount of hard work and dedication.
 
Some dentists ARE doctors (or have trained to a higher level which gives the Doctor title). So if that's the case, no it doesn't bother me.

To be honest, what people want to call themselves doesn't really bug me, but I guess it would be daft if they're not actually trained to that level.
 
Doohickey said:
Only surgeons become 'Mr'. Medical consultants are 'Dr's.
Click to expand...

At our trust,
Surgeons : Mr and Mrs
Consultants : Doctor but some surgeons are also consultants.

Never get the two mixed up because secretaries will let you know immediately and I've even had two Mr's ring me up to complain that I wrote Dr.
 
I remember listening to a radio “phone in” programme about something or other. Brian Sewell and others were discussing something or other. One guy when being answered by Sewell angrily stated that Sewell should refer to him by the title Doctor. Sewell asked him if he was a medical doctor, the answer was “No” and Sewell replied that the person had no right to be referred to as a doctor in open circles unless he was a medical doctor. He could however, if I remember correctly, be called a doctor within the confines of his own occupation.

Is there a Doctor of Divinity who resides in this vicinity? (WS Gilbert).

It is said that Doctor John Reid the labour party “Mr Fixer” and now Lord Reid liked to be called Doctor and was happy that people in the NHS actually thought that he was a medical doctor.

I certainly wouldn’t have wanted my Vasectomy carried out by Doctor John Reid, or Doctor Paisley come to that matter.
 
chiropractors - first off there are different schools and only some give out the doctorate but lots of chiropractors try to pass themselves off as 'doctors' even thou through their school they got no such degree; second - the chiropractic regulations states if you call yourself a doctor the people must know you are a doctor of chiropractic and not a MD/gp etc ...
 
Doohickey said:
I'm probably missing something, but... What :confused: GPs call themselves doctors because they are doctors...
Click to expand...

We refer to physicians as 'doctors' as a result of them adopting the title 'Dr'

Again, what...? So medical doctors use the title 'Dr' because of professional vanity/status anxiety?? Sod all the 'courtesy' business, how about the fact that physicians have been called 'doctors' historically for hundreds of years?
Click to expand...

As a result of it, yes... They adopted the 'courtesy' title years ago... it gave them some status. I don't think they have much grounds to complain if dentists do the same thing - neither profession actually requires its members to earn a doctorate in order to use the title.
 
Belly said:
I remember listening to a radio “phone in” programme about something or other. Brian Sewell and others were discussing something or other. One guy when being answered by Sewell angrily stated that Sewell should refer to him by the title Doctor. Sewell asked him if he was a medical doctor, the answer was “No” and Sewell replied that the person had no right to be referred to as a doctor in open circles unless he was a medical doctor. He could however, if I remember correctly, be called a doctor within the confines of his own occupation.
Click to expand...

this annoys me - its the medical doctors that are not real doctors, not the other way round. If you have a PhD your title is Dr, its as simple as that.
the medical Dr is only a Dr out of tradition and it is honorary unless they have a medical PhD (relatively rare).
 
aardvark said:
this annoys me - its the medical doctors that are not real doctors, not the other way round. If you have a PhD your title is Dr, its as simple as that.
the medical Dr is only a Dr out of tradition and it is honorary unless they have a medical PhD (relatively rare).
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom