掲示板 Forums - How to say dentist in Japanese?

My understanding (which could be wrong) is that:

歯医者, 歯科医 both mean dentist (as in the person who fixes your teeth).

In this context, 歯医者 is more casual than 歯科医. (歯科医 is more of a professional title)

歯医者 can also refer to a dental clinic i.e. where a dentist works.

From looking it up, @Anonymous123 seems to be correct. Some people do seem to lean more towards 歯医者 meaning the clinic itself (in casual contexts). I guess that's more or less the same as when you say "Go to the dentist" in English.

歯科医 = formal, profession-oriented ("a dental doctor")
歯医者 = casual, everyday term (can mean the dentist or their clinic)

Sources: https://ja.hinative.com/questi... | https://ja.hinative.com/questi...

I would not say 歯医者 is casual - I'd say it's base level politeness, and the version you're going to hear 99% of the time. I'm actually going to the 歯医者 today, and this is the word I'd use to describe the visit to any person I know.