in the united states, dentists earn either a d.d.s. (doctor of dental surgery) or d.m.d. (doctor of dental medicine) degree. there is no difference in the training for either degree. the degrees are equivalent, and recognized equally by all state boards of dentistry. there are 56 accredited dental schools in the united states requiring 4 years of post graduate study (except for one unique 3-year program at the university of the pacific). most applicants to dental school have attained at least a b.s. or b.a. degree, but a small percentage are admitted after only fulfilling specific prerequisite courses. so unlike many other countries (other than us, canada, and australia), it usually takes more than 8 years to become a dentist. the difference relates to the history involved in the division of medicine and surgery in medical practice.