Park
Cities Dental
"The
Art and Science of a Healthy Smile"
Your
dentist is a Fellow
of the
Academy
of General Dentistry
What does FAGD or MAGD stand
for after your dentist's name?
Your dentist is a member of the Academy of General Dentistry
(AGD), an organization of general dentists who are dedicated to professional
development and continuing education. All AGD members must remain current
with advances in the profession to provide quality patient treatment. A
general dentist who is a "Fellow" in the Academy of General Dentistry
(FAGD) has been recognized by other general dentists as a leader and an
example to other dentists of the importance of quality continuing dental
education to patient care. A general dentist who has earned the designation
"Master" of the Academy of General Dentistry (MAGD)-a big step
up from Fellowship--has completed a structured and rigorous set of requirements
involving all the dental disciplines. Both Fellows and Masters have accepted
the charge to keep abreast of advances in dentistry for the benefit of
patients and the betterment of dentistry. They serve as mentors and leaders
to other dentists pursuing continuing dental education. They set examples
in their communities with their hard work, concern and involvement.
What are the steps to Fellowship
in the Academy of General Dentistry?
To earn a Fellowship Award, your dentist must earn a
minimum of 500 approved continuing dental education credits and pass a
comprehensive 400 question examination. Your dentist must also be an Academy
of General Dentistry member for five continuous years. While attaining
Fellowship is a challenge, it allows dentists to remain current with what
is new in dentistry, and to incorporate the latest techniques into their
practices.
What is the requirement for Mastership
in the Academy of General Dentistry?
To attain Mastership, members must first be Fellows in the Academy
of General Dentistry. Then they must earn an additional 600 approved continuing
education credits, meeting minimum requirements in certain dental disciplines,
of which 400 hours are hands-on courses. Thus, a Master of the Academy
of General Dentistry has taken a total of 1,100 hours of continuing education.
A Master has studied 16 disciplines in dentistry, such as periodontics,
orthodontics and implants.
What's special about a dentist
who has an award from the Academy of General Dentistry?
Fellows and Masters of the Academy of General Dentistry continue
in a lifelong pursuit of continuing education to provide the highest quality
of dental care to patients. The award symbolizes the professional responsibility
of general dentists to remain current in their profession and reminds each
member of the dental profession to continue to learn new techniques for
their dental practice. These are awards, however, and should not be confused
with post-graduate degrees or certification. Every dentist who applies
for the Fellowship or Mastership award has their application reviewed by
the AGD Council on Dental Education to assure that the high standards of
the Academy of General Dentistry are met.
How many dentists have achieved
Fellowship or Mastership?
To date, more than 10,000 members of the Academy of General Dentistry
have become Fellows and more than 1,000 have gone on to receive Mastership.
The Academy is very proud of all of its members who must take at least
75 hours of continuing dental education every three years, and especially
proud of its members who have made the commitment to pursue these awards.
When your dentist has achieved the Fellowship Award or Mastership Award,
you can be assured that they are dedicated to providing the finest care
in general dentistry.
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Send comments to: Dr. J. Eric Hibbs