The dentist can use the prefix “Dr.” or “Doctor”, but will add after the person's name the letters “D. The greeting in the letter must be Dear Dr.” and the dentist's last name. Using this form shows due respect for your medical degree. Follow this approach whether you're writing an email or a traditional letter to the dentist.
In the latter case, make sure you also write the envelope correctly. On the envelope, write the dentist's first and last name, followed by a comma and a DDS. Use the next line for the name of the dentist's office and then the next lines for the mailing address. The greeting formally greets the reader.
If the author wants the letter to be addressed to a person in a company, it is acceptable to use a hotline. The greeting line should begin two lines below the address of the letter and should be aligned with the left margin. If you're writing to a person, the most appropriate greeting is the person's name. For example, if the letter is addressed to Mr.
Ted Monroe, the greeting would be “Dear Mr. Monroe. The greeting can be changed to read “Dear Ted” if the dentist is a close friend of the recipient. This change in formality must be recognized before typing the letter.
Special situations occur when the letter is sent to unknown people or to more than one person. Box 9-3, A, suggestions on how to greet government officials and academics are shown in box 9-3, B.
