Yes, general dentists are indeed called doctors. To practice dentistry, an individual must complete a rigorous educational path, beginning with a four-year undergraduate degree followed by four years of dental school. Upon graduation, they are awarded either a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or a Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry (DMD). These two degrees are educationally equivalent; the specific title depends on the university’s terminology rather than a difference in skill or scope of practice. Because they are licensed doctors of the mouth, they have the authority to diagnose diseases, prescribe medications like antibiotics or painkillers, and perform surgical procedures on the teeth and jaws. While they are doctors of dental medicine rather than medical doctors (MDs), their training involves extensive study of human anatomy, physiology, and pathology to understand how oral health affects the entire body.