First of all, my friends who went to med school envy me. They all enjoy what they're doing, but they see the life I'll live 10 years down the road, while they'll be running the gauntlet still, or just getting out of it with the bain of an HMO/managed care to deal with.
Other med people I've come across look at us as colleagues. There will be instances where we are respected for our intricate knowledge of the cranium, while we respect them for their knowledge of the entire system, or their respective specialty. It all comes down to professional courtesy, and those who look down on dentists don't only do so to dentists. They also look down on PAs, RNs, Podietrists, and whoever else doesn't hold or isn't working towards an MD.
That said, I was told that a recent social with the med school here was a disappointment b/c the med students sheltered themselves from the welcoming dents. Maybe it was just that group or whatever, but everyone of my classmates at the gathering said they got the major cold shoulder from the other side.
Then again, there are dents who look down on non professionals. So pride comes in all flavors, and I'm not talking about the good kind either.