BRITISH & AMERICAN CREDENTIALS: What does American-trained really mean?
WRIGHT'S MAXIM for CLINICAL SUCCESS IN DENTISTRY
Knowledge without Skill - Predictable Limited Clinical Success
Skill without Knowledge - Unpredictable Moderate Clinical Success
Knowledge with Skill - Predictable Optimum Clinical Success
The only valid endorsement of American training in dentistry is a license to practise in America.
THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN USA & UK LICENSURE
Upon graduating from a British Dental School you are automatically granted a license to practice. When you graduate from an American dental school no such priviledge is granted. The graduate has to pass a series of American National Dental Examinations and State Board Examinations before he or she is given a licence to practice.
British dental teaching hospitals are part of the Faculty of Medicine hence have a strong emphasis on medicine. American dental schools are autonomous and independent from the Faculty of Medicine hence have a strong emphasis on clinical dentistry. The American Dental Schools have their own medical science teaching and research staff and award their own degrees.
The GDC currently do not permit registration of American DDS degrees. American dental licensing authorities do not permit registration of BDS degrees.
Pseudo-Credentials
such as "mail-order" membership of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry are misleading. The AACD is a good organisation that arranges great annual conventions with prominent speakers but the membership "diploma" actually has absolutely no academic value. Dr. Wright was a member of the AACD for many, many years when he practised in Canada.
Nowadays many dentists advertise that they are American-trained. Most of them feel that attending a weekend seminar in America or a lecture from an American dentist in Britain allows them to claim such a title. Many American dentists now lecture and run courses in the UK especially in the areas of aesthetic and implant dentistry. "American-trained" suggests to a consumer that the dentist has received a degree from an American University dental school.
Britain has only recently caught up
with America, which has been training and licensing specialists for some sixty years. Medical and dental science and technology have been evolving exponentially in the last twenty years and Britain is now training dental specialists to provide an advanced level of service. Most of these specialists end up in private practice. The majority of members of the public are as yet unfamiliar with the dental specialties. It really is very confusing with evermore new diplomas, master's degrees, membership and fellowships being awarded. Implant Dentistry is not a specialty and neither is Cosmetic Dentistry contrary to popularly held public misconceptions.
Dr. Wright's credentials are listed at the foot of this page
.
A SYNOPSIS OF DENTAL CREDENTIALS
Undergraduate Dental Qualifications
LDS RCS: Licentiate in Dental Surgery from the Royal College of Surgeons. This is a licence to practise dentistry and the minimal registerable credential in the UK. If a student fails to pass his BDS degree he or she can take the LDS (RCS) exam and still practise dentistry. Some dentists write this exam even though they have passed their BDS and list it after their name as it "looks like" they have a post-graduate degree. Compare this someone saying that he has both A-level Biology and O-Level Biology.
BDS: (BChD) Bachelor of Dental Surgery.
This is the standard dental degree awarded through British and Commonwealth Universities. The BDS degree is not recognised in America or Canada for licensure. As of the year 2000, BDS graduates must take an additional two years dental school training at an American/Canadian dental school or take 5 sequential sets of Board Examinations for licensure over a similar time period to gain DDS equivalency.
DDS: Doctor of Dental Surgery. This is the standard dental degree awarded by American and Canadian Universities.
DMD: Doctor of Dental Medicine: This is an equivalent degree to the DDS awarded by American and Canadian Universities. Historically, DMD training involved more medicine whereas DDS involved more surgery.
TITLES: MR. & DR.
Under the British system, in medicine, physicians have been traditionally addressed as
doctor whereas surgeons as
mister. Dental surgeons used to practise more oral surgery than they do today and traditionally adopted the title
"Mr." Today's dentist is just as much of an "oral" physician as a surgeon and many prefer to be called
"Dr." These are considered equivalent titles and either can be adopted by any registered dentist. Since Britain has joined the EU and more foreign dentists are practising in the UK the title of
"Dr." is becoming more widely adopted. Oral and Maxillofacial surgeons who work within the hospital system tend to prefer the title "Mr."
Maxillofacial Surgery has recently become a medical specialty in the UK. In America Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery is a specialist branch of dentistry however many specialists go on to take a medical degree
(MD). The speciality of
Surgical Dentistry in the UK has now been re-classified as
Oral Surgery.
Graduate Dental Qualifications
American Professional Certificate: e.g. Cert Pros or Cert Perio.
This is the official professional certificate in a dental speciality awarded upon completion of a
three-year residency program at an American University. This is
quite different from a certificate issued by a British Institution which may be awarded for completion of a part-time continuing education course usually 10 to 20 days.
M.Clin Dent: This is the official professional certificate (degree) in a dental specialty awarded after competion of a three-year, part-time residency program at a British dental school.
MSc.: Master of Science Degree. A graduate degree a dental specialty awarded after completing a
one-year residency program in one branch of dentistry at a British dental school.
M.S.: Master of Science Degree. A research degree in craniofacial biology awarded upon completion of a
three-year program at an American University. This is quite a separate program from a residency program.
M.S.D: Master of Science in Dentistry.
This degree is combined with a residency program in America adding one year to studies and is clinically based.
MDS: Master of Dental Science.
A post graduate program with limited research leading to a master's degree. This a British qualification usually undertaken on a part-time basis over a number of years by academic dentists interested in dental materials or teaching this subject.
DDSc.: Doctor of Dental Science.
A true doctorate degree and research degree awarded upon competion of a
two-year program at a British University. This is quite different from an American DDS degree.
PhD.: Doctor of Philosophy.
The terminal research degree awarded upon completion of a
three to five year program at a American, British, European or Commonwealth University. American PhD programs are all laboratory based research as opposed to clinical.
DipImpDent: Diploma in Implant Dentistry. This is a two-year part-time course offered through the Royal College of Surgeons of England in association with the University of Frankfort and University of Tubingen in Germany. It is a registerable qualification in Implant Dentistry with the GDC.
General Memberships and Fellowships: These vary from simply paying an annual subscription to pre-requisite degrees and passing rigorous board examinations.
MRD: Membership in Restorative Dentistry from one of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons.
MFGDP: Membership of the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners of rhe Royal College of Surgeons. Some dentists write more than one membership exam from different colleges. Two memberships have no more value than one.
FDS: Fellowship in Dental Surgery from one of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons. Some dentists write more than one membership exam and display both credentials. Two such Fellowships have no more value than one c.f. two driver's licenses.
American Specialist Fellowships: FACP Fellow of the American College of Prosthodontics; FAAP Fellow of the American Academy of Periodontology, etc. These are the ultimate professional qualifications in clinical dentistry and have prerequisites of three-year residencies in accredited programs, written and oral examinations and clinical case presentations. To be Board Certified and a Fellow in two specialties is quite rare in America. The America viewpoint is that is a contradiction to purport to be aspecialist in two areas.
Board Certification Status is only valid for a period of eight (8) years during which period the specialist is monitored and assessed. Prior to the end of the 8 year period a further examination is required. This assures that the specialist's knowledge and skill is current.
Grandfathered Registration: An honorary specialist
registration granted to an applicant on the basis of clinical practice, recommendations and/or teaching experience. This is a controversial topic within certain members of the profession when the holder ha
s not graduated from a recognised specialist training program.
If unsure about your dentist's qualifications, request an explanation. Don't feel that you are being impolite. If the qualifications are valid, the dentist should be happy to enlighten you.
Choosing a Specialist
It is always worthwhile obtaining a second opinion from a specialist
The search for the ideal specialist to treat your case can be an arduous one. There are a significant number of dental specialists in private practice in London. No single dentist can be
all things to all men. You can expend a great deal of time attending a series of consultations if you do not have a plan. Friends, colleagues and medical doctors are not always the best source of information, neither are magazine advertorials. The British Dental Association is highly ethical and would not recommend one member over another.
So how do you begin your quest?
The internet is quick, easy and the ultimate source of information and disinformation. It is true that some of the more established practitioners do not need to advertise for patients but most every specialist who teaches, accepts referrals and remains active academically in their specialty has a web site today. So this is your best place to start.
Academic Training
Classically-trained specialists will spend two to four years studying in an approved University post-graduate programme. Some students will graduate with certificates, others with degrees and some with both. In the case of American Universities the certificate programme in advanced prosthodontics involves approximately 7000 hours of clinical, laboratory and academic training (Cert Pros). In America, any masters degree is a quite separate programme and takes two to three years to complete. Fellowships are awarded by Academies or Colleges. These vary dramatically in their academic value. The most reputable Colleges or Academies have completion of a formal specialty program as a pre-requisite to taking the written and oral examinations and presenting completed cases.
The University
There are excellent universities and faculty to be found everywhere in the civilised world. However, some are better than others in their respective fields. Everyone would like to go to the best University in the world. If you are looking for a dental specialist, you should find out where he or she took her graduate training and go to the website of that dental school.
Faculty Appointments
These can be clinical or academic appointments.
You are really looking for a
clinician i.e. one who performs operative dentistry. Part-time clinical faculty appointments do not always ensure that the specialist is a good clinician but certainly means that he or she is not a bad one. Enquiring as to your specialist's faculty appointments may help.
Lecture Circuit
Some specialists elect to teach private courses as they are far more lucrative that university classes. A well-subscribed course or study-club is a further indication of the amount of respect that one commands from one's peers. Some specialists will spend more than time lecturing worldwide than they do treating patients. Those specialists are often dental school based and select their cases for academic interest and teaching purposes. There are drawbacks and compromises in such case in being a patient due to the limited availablity of the doctor.
PROPRIETARY DENTISTS
All the major dental manufacturing companies such as Dental Implant Companies employ dentists to lecture for them and promote their products. They are given the title of clinical consultant for the company and provided with a salary and free or substantially discounted merchandise. This would imply a certain bias in treatment and selection of products.
Practice Experience
Practice experience is not always an indicator of clinical expertise but when combined with some of the aforegoing credentials may act as a guide. Ask to see some of the doctor's completed cases. This may give you some idea of the quality and scope of his or her work.
Personality
There is an adage: What one man lacks in skill, he often makes up for in personality.
In dentistry anything less than perfection fails. However, dentistry is the most personal physical service afforded to the average person, in your lifetime. Let's be honest, dentistry can be stressful, incomfortable and at times, painful. You have a very close relationship with your dentist so I recommend to you that you find one you can get along with.
DR. WRIGHT'S CREDENTIALS
Please note that American degrees and Specialist Fellowships are currently not registerable in the United Kingdom.
Dr. Wright received his dental degree from the St. Andrew's University in Scotland, now Dundee Dental School. He subsequently attended at the University of Southern California (a private research university) where he graduated with a Certificate in Advanced Prosthodontics, a Masters degree in Science Education and a Masters degree in Craniofacial Biology. Dr. Wright also took further university training and passed all American and California State dental examinations to achieve Doctor of Dental Surgery licensure. Dr. Wright has taken surgical training in dental implantology in California, Germany, Egypt and through the Royal College of Surgeons England
Dr. Wright is a lecturer in restorative dentistry at UCLA and former course director in the graduate program in aesthetic dentistry. Dr. Wright is the only California licensed specialist in Great Britain. Dr. Wright is one of only five American Board Certified Prosthodontists in the UK (others being: Liza Kaarvang (retired); Basil Mizrahi; Dina Dedi; Harold Preiskel)). Dr. Wright is a Fellow of the American College of Prosthodontists and a Diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics.These are recognised worldwide as being the gold standard and ultimate qualifications in prosthodontics.
Dr. Wright has 25 years of clinical practice experience in California and Canada holding American, Canadian & British licenses. Many dentists from all over the world come to American Universities to study.
Only a few, however, go through the arduous task of taking the
licensing examinations. Fewer still, yet, set up practice in America. Dr. Wright has done all of those and considers himself an American dentist lecturing nationally and internationally. American Dentistry is considered the gold standard worldwide and no where has it evolved more than Southern California. USC (University of Southern California) has had a dental school for 130 years and is considered by many to be the
foremost dental school in America. Their
perennial cross-town rivals UCLA may take issue with this claim. Dr. Wright has learned much from both Universities and holds each schools on equal standing.
Dr. Wright is committed to lifelong learning and spends over 100 hours per year attending certified post-graduate education training courses.
DR. WRIGHT'S PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
California Dental Association; American Dental Association; Canadian Dental Association; College of Dental Surgeons of British Columbia; American College of Prosthodontists; Association of Dental Implantology (UK); British Dental Association and others
Good luck with your quest for the most appropriate dentist for you!