D.D.S. versus D.M.D.

D.D.S. stands for Doctor of Dental Surgery, and D.M.D. stands for Doctor of Dental Medicine. Originally there was only the D.D.S. degree. Then in 1867 Harvard University adopted The D.M.D. degree from the latin phrase “Dentariae Medicinae Doctor.” Some dental schools award D.D.S. upon graduation and others award D.M.D. Both degrees share the same curriculum requirements set by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation, and both degrees allow licensed individuals to practice general dentistry.