Donald Christopher, DDS
Donald Christopher, DDS is a provider specialising in Dentist in Lanham, MD, registered under NPI 1306979356.
Getting there
The practice address on file is 5900 PRINCESS GARDEN PARKWAY LANHAM CENTRE SUITE 420, Lanham, MD 20706. We have not yet mapped what surrounds this office — parking, transit, and nearby pharmacies are added as our data collection reaches each location.
Credentials and Medicare
| Licence | State | Specialty |
|---|---|---|
| 8520 | MD | Dentist primary |
This provider holds licence 8520 issued in MD. A licence number in NPPES reflects what was filed at registration — it does not confirm the licence is still active today.
This NPI does not appear in the PECOS Medicare enrolment file. Providers who do not bill Medicare — or who bill only through a group's enrolment — will not appear here. It is not a sign of any problem with the registration.
What Dentist covers
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. NUCC Health Care Provider Taxonomy, code 122300000X
The taxonomy records how the provider classifies their own practice. It does not confirm which conditions they currently treat, whether they are accepting new patients, or which insurance they take — call the office for that.
Full NPPES record
An NPI-1 identifies a single person. It stays with the clinician for life, even if they move practice or change state, which is why the address on file can lag behind where they actually work today.
| NPI | 1306979356 valid check digit |
|---|---|
| Entity type | Individual (NPI-1) |
| Enumeration date | Mar 13, 2007 |
| Last updated | Jul 8, 2007 |
| Status | Active |
| Sole proprietor | No |
| Credential | DDS |
| Practice address |
5900 PRINCESS GARDEN PARKWAY LANHAM CENTRE SUITE 420 Lanham, MD 20706 (301) 577-2962 Fax (301) 577-4702 |
Number check
How the check works, step by step
Every NPI carries a Luhn check digit — the same scheme used on credit cards. CMS prefixes the number with 80840 before computing it, which marks it as a US health identifier.
| Digit | 8 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doubled? | — | ×2 | — | ×2 | — | ×2 | — | ×2 | — | ×2 | — | ×2 | — | ×2 |
| Value | 8 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 1 |
Sum = 64 · next multiple of 10 = 70 · check digit = 6 · actual last digit = 6
A valid check digit only means the number is well-formed. It does not mean the provider is licensed, active, or in good standing — those are separate questions answered by the sections above.