Can a dentist with a first degree be called Doctor?

Where I live, the first degree a dental graduate attains is BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery). Such a graduate calls themselves Doctor. So they refer to themselves as Dr Koh, Dr Tan, etc.

I wonder whether such graduates in other countries like USA and UK call themselves Doctor.

Thanks!

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Yes, because they either get a DDM (Doctor of Dental Medicine) or a DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery).
So a polite way of addressing a dentist would be for example: “Dr. Smith”. Although, I usually address my dentist with his first name, because he likes that better than dr.

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Thanks, Masme!

But where I live, the first degree dentists attain is BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery). They are then allowed to practise dentistry. And they refer to themselves as Dr.

To me, as they have attained only a Bachelor’s degree, they are not entitled to call themselves Dr.

Do you agree?

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Not really, because they have studied dental surgery, however, I must say, where I live it’s quite unusual to address a dentist with dr. However in our hospitals there are dental surgeons, because sometimes you have to be completely sedated for some medical procedures. I think it differs in every country.

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