Dentists calling themselves Doctors

v0n · 20 Feb 2013 at 17:57

This is very new and strange to me. Back where I come from all dentists would have to finish 5 year medical studies with specialisation in dental surgery plus usual practice and therefore calling them doctor wasn't any different to calling any other bachelor of medicine a doctor.

What are we saying here, that dentists in UK don't have to go through medical studies and they just finish some sort of technical college, ie are glorified barbers? Don't get me wrong, this would certainly explain my battlefield hospital like experience with British dentistry over the last 20 years, but surely they must comply with at least EU standard for the title, no?

Xordium · 20 Feb 2013 at 17:57

smit101 said:
Oh raaaaaather! Fair enough doc, no need to get your stethoscope all in a twist!

Not in a twist I merely clarified something you posted confusion at.

dowie · 20 Feb 2013 at 18:14

v0n said:
This is very new and strange to me. Back where I come from all dentists would have to finish 5 year medical studies with specialisation in dental surgery plus usual practice and therefore calling them doctor wasn't any different to calling any other bachelor of medicine a doctor.

In the UK Physicians get a bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery, Dentists get a bachelor of dental surgery. Both professions require high grades and a long undergraduate course, neither course results in a doctorate unlike in some other countries where it would be a graduate course and an MD etc.. is awarded

Physicians have been using the courtesy title 'Dr' for years... for Dentists in the UK its fairly recent and seemingly an attempt to align themselves with Dentists in other countries. I really don't see the big deal with Dentists using the title... the professional body that regulates them is OK with it.

smit101 · 20 Feb 2013 at 18:18

Xordium said:
Not in a twist I merely clarified something you posted confusion at.

No worries Doc!

Your working life must have been one hell of a ride. :cool:

Good luck with the retirement.

bottletop · 20 Feb 2013 at 18:21

v0n said:
This is very new and strange to me. Back where I come from all dentists would have to finish 5 year medical studies with specialisation in dental surgery plus usual practice and therefore calling them doctor wasn't any different to calling any other bachelor of medicine a doctor.

What are we saying here, that dentists in UK don't have to go through medical studies and they just finish some sort of technical college, ie are glorified barbers? Don't get me wrong, this would certainly explain my battlefield hospital like experience with British dentistry over the last 20 years, but surely they must comply with at least EU standard for the title, no?

I think that before 1995, dentists were called Mr. Then numbers of EU dentists arrived who, because of their country's specific degrees, had the right to be called doctor. In order not to appear inferior to the public, UK dentists then insisted on being called doctor and the BDA said it was not opposed to the idea.

Now the ASA has said to dentists (through a test case) that yes, a dentist can call himself doctor but the dentist must make it clear in the advertising that he is not actually a qualified medical doctor nor does he have a PhD.

So all in all it is a relatively recent occurence - less than 20 years.

edit to add: I am pretty sure I read yesterday that the Standards Committee for the BDA has recently recommended to the BDA governing body that dentists do not, in future, refer to themselves as doctor. Whether the governing body agrees (dentists over all do not) we shall have to see.

Morgoth · 20 Feb 2013 at 18:21

I don't really care what my dentist uses as his title as long as he does a good job.

I have a PhD.

Rich1988 · 20 Feb 2013 at 18:24

Dentists have the one of the highest rates of suicide out of any profession, so we should probably give them a break and let them call themselves doctors if they want to dont want to upset them any more!

shadow_boxer · 20 Feb 2013 at 19:36

Minstadave said:
I am a doctor - I save lives.

I am not a dentist - they clean teeth, and earn more than me.

I don't call myself a dentist, they shouldn't call themselves doctors. Simples

Haha totally agree! Come on...we all know their not proper doctors!

How they make more than us really pees me off!! :mad:

[FnG]magnolia · 20 Feb 2013 at 19:45

There's a lot of ego in this thread, predictably. It's most amusing

sist_si · 20 Feb 2013 at 20:05

If they study to become a Dr then they have the right to use the title. You don't have to be a medic to have the title and it takes many years of hard studying to gain it.
If you're using the title unqualified then yes, it's very wrong and misleading.

Robosapien · 20 Feb 2013 at 20:09

?

danielanthony · 20 Feb 2013 at 20:23

But what is the legal position on this though?

If a dentist with no phd applied for car insurance, would their title be Dr?

Likewise, if a medical practitioner with no phd also applied for car insurance, would their prefix be Dr?

Minstadave · 20 Feb 2013 at 20:32

danielanthony said:
Likewise, if a medical practitioner with no phd also applied for car insurance, would their prefix be Dr?

I can answer this one - yes.

Your GMC certificate is taken as evidence of your doctor-ness if required. I don't think I've ever had anyone actually check though.

bottletop · 20 Feb 2013 at 20:38

danielanthony said:
But what is the legal position on this though?

If a dentist with no phd applied for car insurance, would their title be Dr?

Likewise, if a medical practitioner with no phd also applied for car insurance, would their prefix be Dr?

Looks like anyone can call them selves a doctor if this is true.

http://www.policespecials.com/forum/index.php?/topic/120098-protected-title/

PikeyPriest · 20 Feb 2013 at 20:46

Doohickey said:
Only surgeons become 'Mr'. Medical consultants are 'Dr's`

Close. All doctors have the title Dr. If you become a member of the royal college of surgeons you can use the title `Mr` or `Miss`. Surgeons in the UK take the title as a throw back to the non-medical roots of surgery, when it was regarded as (and probably was) butchery.

All surgical trainees that have passed their membership exams can use the title Mr/Miss (gynae, ortho, general surgery, opthalmology, ENT). So all consultants, registrars and some senior house officers will have it. I've paid ~1700 for the exams and membership, but seldom use it outside of OP notes

*edit* On topic, couldn't care less what title dentists use. I've always thought of them having the title Dr and mine is really good, though the prices are fairly high

*Moangroan* · 20 Feb 2013 at 20:53

Minstadave said:
I am a doctor - I save lives.

There are 700,000 physicians in the United States.
There are 120,000 accidental deaths in the United States caused by physicians every year, and the accidental death percentage per physician is 0.171.
There are 80 million gun owners in the United States.
There are 1,500 accidental deaths from guns every year, regardless of age group, and the accidental death percentage per gun owner is 0.0000188.

This means, the letter points out, that doctors are 9,000 times more deadly than gun owners.

Gammawolf · 20 Feb 2013 at 21:05

Nymins said:
Say wha?!

If I had a PhD, I'd be using Dr. at every chance I could get.

Its more hassle than its worth in some situations, people assume you're loaded as they just associated the term with rich GPs. Bad if you're trying to buy things.

silversurfer · 20 Feb 2013 at 22:01

*Moangroan* said:
This means, the letter points out, that doctors are 9,000 times more deadly than gun owners.

Need to go off hours at a gun range or hunting in comparison to hours working at a surgery.
Most guns are left in cupboards unused waiting for the day little billy can find it and take it to school, where as a doctor probably loses the title or qualification to do the job if they never practice

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/211587.stm

Mr Jack · 20 Feb 2013 at 22:30

danielanthony said:
But what is the legal position on this though?

Dr is not a protected title; you can call yourself Dr Daniel Anthony if you want. If you try to misrepresent yourself as a medical professional or otherwise profit from the title you've given yourself you may be committing fraud.

"andy" · 20 Feb 2013 at 22:47

Dimple said:
I've even had two Mr's ring me up to complain that I wrote Dr.

no doubt whilst emailing the press about being rushed off their feet

anyway wheres the guy who tells us vets are more educated than doctors and dentists ? (they have to learn doctor stuff like stitching!101!)

hope he is not unwell due to dubious medical advice