Dentist
Dental Providers › Dentist
About this specialty
A dentist is a person qualified by a doctorate in dental surgery (D.D.S.) or dental medicine (D.M.D.), licensed by the state to practice dentistry, and practicing within the scope of that license. There is no difference between the two degrees: dentists who have a DMD or DDS have the same education. Universities have the prerogative to determine what degree is awarded. Both degrees use the same curriculum requirements set by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation. Generally, three or more years of undergraduate education plus four years of dental school is required to graduate and become a general dentist. State licensing boards accept either degree as equivalent, and both degrees allow licensed individuals to practice the same scope of general dentistry. Additional post-graduate training is required to become a dental specialist.
Source: Council on Dental Education and Licensure, American Dental Association
Highest Medicare-paid providers
| Provider | Location | Medicare paid |
|---|---|---|
| JINO PARK, D.D.S | LOMA LINDA, CA | $1,108,377 |
| GRIGORIY YUSUPOV, DDS | ELIZABETH, NJ | $536,755 |
| HAN CHOI, DDS | PEORIA, AZ | $324,585 |
| JUSTIN TIN, DDS | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $245,465 |
| YELENA YURCHENKO, DDS | BROOKLYN, NY | $218,469 |
| ALI-REZA ETEMADIEH | ORANGE, CA | $118,601 |
| JOSEPH MINA ATALLA, D.D.S. | LOS ANGELES, CA | $102,908 |
| CAMERON KUEHNE, DMD, MS | MERIDIAN, ID | $86,680 |
| SHRUTI HANDA | BOSTON, MA | $81,890 |
| MARIA ALUNING, DDS | CARSON, CA | $79,334 |
Ranked by total Medicare payments — a measure of billing volume, not care quality.
Taxonomy definitions from the NUCC Health Care Provider Taxonomy (public domain). Provider counts derived from NPPES; payment figures from CMS Medicare data. Not affiliated with CMS, NPPES, NUCC, or any government agency.