dentist [L, dens] , a person who is qualified by training and licensed by a state or region to diagnose and treat abnormalities of the teeth, gingiva, face, head, neck, and underlying bone, including conditions caused by disease, trauma, and heredity. Required training in the United States consists of 3 to 4 years in an undergraduate college after fulfilling the undergraduate academic requirements for admission, a satisfactory score on a Dental Admission Test and 4 years at an American Dental Association–accredited dental college. After completing dental college, a dentist is awarded a degree of either Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.); the two degrees are equivalent. A dentist must pass written and practical examinations to obtain a state license. Dental internships and residencies are not, as yet, required for general practice. See also dentistry.
