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Use Dr. followed by the doctor's full name, then the practice name and address, and put the degree letters after the name only when you know them. Mail health-related letters to the practice address, not a home address, and mark the envelope private and confidential if it contains health information.
Dr. before the name is the safe default, and it works for physicians, dentists, and other doctoral professionals. Degree letters after the name, such as MD, DO, DDS, or PhD, add precision when you know them, but they are optional on an envelope: the mail carrier sorts by name and address, not by credential. If you do use both, the standard form is "Dr. Jane Smith, MD" on one line, with the practice name on the next line.
Do not guess at the degree. Writing MD after the name of a doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO) or a doctor of dental surgery (DDS) is a small error, but it signals carelessness in a letter that may be asking for care, records, or a referral. If the practice website or directory lists the credential, copy it exactly. If it does not, "Dr." alone is correct and complete.
| Form | When to use it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. + full name | Default, always safe | Dr. Jane Smith |
| Dr. + name + degree | When you know the credential from a directory | Dr. Jane Smith, MD |
| Name + degree, no Dr. | Formal lists and directories | Jane Smith, DO |
| First name only | Never on a formal letter | Not recommended |
Use the practice address, not a home address. Doctors receive professional mail at their clinic, office, or hospital department, and front-desk staff route it to the right person. A letter sent to a home address, even if you somehow know it, may sit unopened, and it can feel intrusive. Practice addresses appear on the clinic website, on referral forms, and in provider directories.
When the practice has several locations, use the location where you were seen or where the doctor primarily works. A letter sent to the wrong branch can take weeks to travel internally, if it travels at all. If the letter concerns a specific department, such as medical records or billing, add that department on the line below the doctor's name or on the practice-name line, so the mailroom routes it correctly on arrival.
Health correspondence deserves a little extra care. Mark the envelope "Private and Confidential" below the address, and avoid putting any diagnosis, treatment, or reason for writing on the outside. The envelope's job is to get the letter to the right desk unopened; the letter inside carries the sensitive content. This matters more than people think: clinic mail is often opened by front-desk staff before it reaches the doctor, and a marked envelope signals that it should go straight to the addressee.
For records requests, referrals, or anything with a deadline, consider certified mail or another tracked service. The tracking receipt proves when the practice received it, which helps if a records request later stalls. Keep a copy of the letter itself: practices handle large volumes of mail, and a copy lets you resend quickly if the original is misfiled.
Inside, "Dear Dr. Smith:" is the standard opening, and it stays correct even if you used degree letters on the envelope. If you are writing to a practice rather than a person, "Dear Medical Records Department:" or "Dear Office Manager:" works. Avoid "Dear Doctor" on its own: it reads as if you could not be bothered to learn the name, and in a letter asking for help, that first impression matters.
Close with your full name, date of birth only if the letter needs it for identification, and a phone number and return address. A records request without identifying details will bounce back for clarification, and that round trip costs weeks. Sign the letter by hand if you are mailing a paper original, since some records offices treat an unsigned request as incomplete.
Yes, for US and Canadian practice addresses. LetterAgent prints and mails letters described to your AI assistant, so a records request, a referral thank-you, or a complaint letter to a practice fits the service. Health information in the letter stays between you and the recipient: describe the letter to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and it is printed and mailed.
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