Qualifications - which are better?

hmmm

I'm sorry for what may be basic questions but I couldn't find an answer using the search!

Can anyone tell me what the difference is between a dentist with BDS or LCS after their name? Are the qualifications regarded as equivalent or is one better than the other?

Is a "dental surgeon" different to a "dentist"?

If I was looking for an implant, what sort of qualifications should I be looking out for in a dentist? e.g. can someone translate this "BDS NUI Ortho & Implant"

Thanks for any help

davo10

BDS NUI is the qualification awarded to those who qualify as dentists from UCC in Cork, B Dent Sc the qualification awarded by Trinity College.

When considering an implant look for someone who is an expert in the field, not a dentist chancing his/her arm. A post-grad qualification is a must, in Oral Surgery is usually a good sign, some have qualifications in periodontology or prosthodontics. Avoid clinicians who claim to be experts but who have only attended short part time/weekend courses. Ask for evidence of post-grad qaulifications/fellowships etc. Remember you will only ever want to do this once in your lifetime so have it done by a qualified person. (Your local family Doctor might be fantastic but you wouldn't allow him to do a hip replacement for you, would you?.)

btkm8unsl0w5r4

B.A. B.Dent.Sc - General dental Qualification from Trinity. not a specialist qualification
BDS NUI - General dental Qualification from Cork not a specialist qualification
DDS - General dental Qualification from US and some European countries. not a specialist qualification
M.Dent.Ch - Masters usually in a specific area. Specialist Qualification
D.Dent.Ch - Doctorate usually in specific area. Specialist Qualification
PhD - Usually in hospital consultants and professors, usually research dentists. Specialist Qualification
MFS / MFDS - membership in the royal college of surgeons followed by a RSCI (royal college of Ireland or another country), not a specialist qualification
FFD - Fellowship faculty Dentistry Royal college, usually seen in orthodontists or oral surgeons as part of their specialist register.Specialist Qualification
D.Clin.Dent - diploma in clinical dentistry, general dentist with extra training, .not a specialist qualification

There are a load of part time courses and diplomas, usually do not qualify the dentist as a specialist. Look for FULL TIME POSTGRADUATE training, usually a masters or higher. There are only two "registered" specialties in Ireland ( the law has not kept up with the times) these are oral surgery and orthodontics. There are several other specialties where the dentist is not on the Irish specialist register because it only has two specialties.

General dentists can do any treatment they wish and are comfortable doing, you may be sent to a specialist if you dentist thinks your problems are difficult. Specialists are usually referral only, meaning that your own dentist sends you to them.

Putting things like (hons) after the degree is total rubbish and not a qualification. It is supposed to mean a honors degree, but is only a sign that they are trying to add a few letter after their name.

Prosthodontics - Crowns, Veneers, Bridges, Dentures and Implant restorations.
Periodontics - Gum problems and implant surgery.
Endodontics - Root Canals
Peadodontics - Dentistry for Kids.
Special Care - Dentistry for those with special needs.
Orthodontics - Braces.
Oral Surgery - Wisdom teeth, extractions, implant surgery.
Oral Medicine - Doctors specializing on diseases of the mouth that dentists do not treat.
Maxillio Facial Surgery - plastic surgery of the jaws (hardcore jaw surgery).

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A COSMETIC DENTIST OR A COSMETIC SPECIALIST..

There is very poor law regarding what a dentist can claim to be and do. No wonder people get confused. Dentists can claim to has an interest in a area but that does not guarantee they are trained in that area.

As an example:

B.A. B.Dent.Sc (TCD). M.F.D.S. (R.C.S.I) M.Dent.Ch (Periodontics)
B.A - Arts degree (a trinity thing, never actually did arts but because the dental course is more than 4 years they need to give you a primary degree after year 3)
B.Dent.Sc - basic general dental degree.
MFDS RCSI - membership of the faculty of dentistry royal college of surgeons, this is a extra qualification for general dentist, this alone is not a specialist qualification.
M.Dent.Ch (periodontics) - Master in Gum surgery and implant placement



Wow longest post ever.............maybe other hear can give some more examples

res ipsa

Some good posts here.

Fitzgeme, you omitted MSc or Master of Science, MScD or Master of Science in Dentistry MS (US Master of Science, usually a longer 2-3yr stint) than its UK counterpart & MSD (Indiana's version of MS)

Then you have Cert.Endo,Cert. Perio,not sure here, but if you go to the US & dont want to do the full MS or MSD you get this(please correct me on this if this is inaccurate).

Some of the MScs are taught(clinical & research) & some MScD's are research only and some MSc's "claimed "by dentists are in non-dental subjects or from universities that dont have a dental school. Go Figure.:D

Its all alphabet soup, & very misleading for the public and difficult for most dentists to know which qualifications are worthwhile.

In the US they have 9 specialist lists in various disciplines, in the UK & Northern Ireland there are 13, in the Republic there are 2 in orthodontics & oral surgery, which I think is the minimum allowed by the EU & was forced on us by those pesky bureaucratic regulators meddling in our affairs when we were all doing very nicely thanks with the nods,winks,pints,backslaps, games of golf, & hampers at christmas:p

hmmm

That's been wonderfully informative, thank you so much. I'm more confused now than when I started, but at least I realise why I am confused

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Thanks Res, It is so confusing. I thought I knew the score but when you go to write it down it gets even more confusing.

Really hope that a proper specialist register is brought in in this country soon, at least then patient will know where they stand and not need a degree in dental terminology to know who to go to.

bureau2009

Jaxxon Wide Nitwit wrote: »

B.A. B.Dent.Sc - General dental Qualification from Trinity. not a specialist qualification
BDS NUI - General dental Qualification from Cork not a specialist qualification
DDS - General dental Qualification from US and some European countries. not a specialist qualification
M.Dent.Ch - Masters usually in a specific area. Specialist Qualification
D.Dent.Ch - Doctorate usually in specific area. Specialist Qualification
PhD - Usually in hospital consultants and professors, usually research dentists. Specialist Qualification
MFS / MFDS - membership in the royal college of surgeons followed by a RSCI (royal college of Ireland or another country), not a specialist qualification
FFD - Fellowship faculty Dentistry Royal college, usually seen in orthodontists or oral surgeons as part of their specialist register.Specialist Qualification
D.Clin.Dent - diploma in clinical dentistry, general dentist with extra training, .not a specialist qualification

There are a load of part time courses and diplomas, usually do not qualify the dentist as a specialist. Look for FULL TIME POSTGRADUATE training, usually a masters or higher. There are only two "registered" specialties in Ireland ( the law has not kept up with the times) these are oral surgery and orthodontics. There are several other specialties where the dentist is not on the Irish specialist register because it only has two specialties.

General dentists can do any treatment they wish and are comfortable doing, you may be sent to a specialist if you dentist thinks your problems are difficult. Specialists are usually referral only, meaning that your own dentist sends you to them.

What about the FDS qualification from the Royal Colleges?

My understanding is that it is a Fellowship in General Practice Dentistry. Is it the highest qualification for a general practice dentist? How is it regarded in the profession? Does it have "specialist" status?

Very useful listing Fitzgeme. (A listing of dental qualifications on the Dental Council website would be most helpful for patients).

bureau2009

*Duplication

res ipsa

bureau2009 wrote: »

*Duplication

You're raising a very old thread here but FDS is fellowship in dental surgery. It's an old qualification mostly associated with academic dentistry pathways. In Ireland the Royal College of Knowledge issue FFD qualifications which means Fellowship of the faculty of dentistry. I have this qualification but because it is not a mandatory qualification that gives you specialist status it doesn't mean anything except maybe to my parents.

bureau2009

res ipsa wrote: »

In Ireland the Royal College of Knowledge issue FFD qualifications which means Fellowship of the faculty of dentistry. I have this qualification but because it is not a mandatory qualification that gives you specialist status it doesn't mean anything except maybe to my parents.

But Fitzgeme has listed the FFD qualification above as a specialist qualification!

Big_G

It is a specialist qualification but because there is no specialist register in Ireland for any specialty other than oral surgery and orthodontics, it isn't technically registrable because it is an FFD in prosthodontics. But in the UK it would be. Ireland is a little bit behind the times with regard to this situation which means confusion for many.