Why don't the letters and credentials after a dentist's name actually move patient decisions the way the profession assumes? Because patients are laypeople, not dental peers, and the credentialing system was built for peer recognition, not patient communication. The patient sees DDS, MS, FACS, ABOI, DICOI, FAGD, and a string of certificates on the wall, and registers none of them in detail. What they register is whether the doctor explained the case clearly, whether the team treated them with respect, whether the office felt organized, whether they understood the recommendation, and whether they felt comfortable in the chair. A doctor with [...]

Why don't the letters and credentials after a dentist's name actually move patient decisions the way the profession assumes? Because patients are laypeople, not dental peers, and the credentialing system was built for peer recognition, not patient communication. The patient sees DDS, MS, FACS, ABOI, DICOI, FAGD, and a string of certificates on the wall, and registers none of them in detail. What they register is whether the doctor explained the case clearly, whether the team treated them with respect, whether the office felt organized, whether they understood the recommendation, and whether they felt comfortable in the chair. A doctor with [...]

Why don't the letters and credentials after a dentist's name actually move patient decisions the way the profession assumes? Because patients are laypeople, not dental peers, and the credentialing system was built for peer recognition, not patient communication. The patient sees DDS, MS, FACS, ABOI, DICOI, FAGD, and a string of certificates on the wall, and registers none of them in detail. What they register is whether the doctor explained the case clearly, whether the team treated them with respect, whether the office felt organized, whether they understood the recommendation, and whether they felt comfortable in the chair. A doctor with [...]