Dentists have one of the following series of letters after their names: D.D.S. (Doctor of Dental Surgery) or D.M.D. (Doctor of Dental Medicine).Both of these degrees mean the same thing, but different schools may award different degrees.arning. Some dental practitioners do not need to be dentists to work on teeth. They include dental assistants (CDA for Certified Dental Assistant) and hygienists (Licensed Dental Hygienist). Make sure your dentist has D.D.S or D.M.D after their names if you only want licensed dentists doing the work on your teeth.