 |
  |
|
|
Rules and Procedures Table of Contents |
||
|
Section |
Topic |
Page |
|
1 |
3 |
|
|
|
Organization, Objectives, and Responsibilities |
3 |
|
|
The Certificate |
4 |
|
|
Definition of Terms |
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
6 |
|
|
|
The Qualifying Application |
6 |
|
|
The Written Examination Application |
7 |
|
|
The Oral Examination Application |
7 |
|
|
|
|
|
4 |
CANDIDATES PURSUING OR CERTIFIED BY THE FEDERAL SERVICES BOARD |
8 |
|
|
Eligibility |
8 |
|
|
Requirements |
8 |
|
|
FSBGD Diplomate Exemption From the ABGD Oral Examination |
8 |
|
|
Certification |
8 |
|
|
|
|
|
5 |
9 |
|
|
|
Course Attendance |
9 |
|
|
Other Acceptable CDE Activities |
9 |
|
|
Subject Category Requirements |
9 |
|
|
Required Documentation |
10 |
|
|
|
|
|
6 |
11 |
|
|
|
Examination Dates and Locations |
11 |
|
|
Content |
11 |
|
|
Testing Irregularities |
12 |
|
|
Results of the Examination |
12 |
|
|
Appeal Mechanism |
12 |
|
|
Retaking the Written Examination |
13 |
|
|
|
|
|
7 |
13 |
|
|
|
Dates and Locations |
13 |
|
|
Content |
13 |
|
|
The Case Presentation and Defense Portion of the Exam |
14 |
|
|
Discipline-Specific Portion of the Exam |
15 |
|
|
Results of the Oral Examination |
16 |
|
|
Retaking the Oral Examination |
16 |
|
|
|
|
|
8 |
16 |
|
|
|
Board Eligible Dentists |
16 |
|
|
Board Certified Dentists |
16 |
|
|
Retired Status |
16 |
|
|
|
|
|
9 |
17 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
10 |
17 |
|
|
|
Recent Graduate Fee |
18 |
|
|
Study Guide |
18 |
|
|
|
|
|
11 |
18 |
|
|
|
Reasons for Revocation |
18 |
|
|
Hearing and Notice |
18 |
|
|
Jurisdiction of the Board |
19 |
|
|
|
|
|
12 |
19 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
20 |
|
|
|
Content Outline of the Written Examination |
20 |
American Board of General Dentistry
This Rules and Procedures document was designed to be a guide to aid candidates in their quest for Board Certification. For additional copies, please contact:
312/440-4336
or
312/440-4973
or
E-mail us at:
abgd@agd.org
1. BACKGROUND
ORGANIZATION, OBJECTIVES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Certifying Board of
General Dentistry was incorporated in 1984, under the laws of the State of
The ABGD was organized to fulfill the following objectives and responsibilities:
1. To evaluate the standards and advance the science and art of general dentistry by encouraging its study and improving its practice;
2. To examine and determine the qualifications and proficiency of dentists who voluntarily apply to the Board for certification;
3. To grant and issue certificates in general dentistry to qualified candidates; and
4. To maintain a registry of all dentists certified and to verify the credentials of those certified upon request.
THE CERTIFICATE
The certificate conferred by the American Board of General Dentistry may be used for credentialing purposes only. Certification does not confer legal qualification, privilege, or license to practice general dentistry. The certificate shall not be held out to the public as evidence of superior skill and/or knowledge. The Board does not intend in any way to interfere with or limit the professional activities of any duly licensed general dentist who is not certified by this Board.
Titles to all certificates shall remain the property of the American Board of General Dentistry, but each person to whom a certificate is issued shall be entitled to its possession until it is revoked or voluntarily returned.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
General Dentist -- An individual who has successfully completed formal dental training leading to a DDS or DMD degree from a school approved by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) which qualifies that individual to be licensed to accept the professional responsibility for the diagnosis, treatment, management, and overall coordination of services that meet a patient’s oral health needs; and who has not announced a limitation of practice to any of the specialty areas recognized by the American Dental Association.
Continuing Dental Education (CDE) -- Continuing dental education consists of non-residency educational activities designed to review existing concepts and techniques and to convey information and knowledge on advances in dental and medical sciences, subsequent to receipt of the basic dental degree.
Conditionally Educationally Qualified -- Dentists who have completed one-year of an accredited two-year post-graduate program and who provide a letter from the Program Director affirming the resident’s continued enrollment in and expected completion of the program; or
Dentists who have met the formal educational criteria, but not the continuing dental education requirements, for Entry Point II shall be considered Conditionally Educationally Qualified. These candidates may take the written examination but will not be designated Board Eligible until the continuing education requirements are completed.
Educationally Qualified for Certification -- A dentist is Educationally Qualified when he or she has paid a filing fee and when his or her qualifying application and credentials have been approved by the Board. By way of qualifying application and supporting documents, the dentist must demonstrate that he or she has met the entry level criteria required by the Board. These criteria are specified in the section of this document entitled “Requirements for Board Certification.” The Board must approve the candidate as Educationally Qualified for Certification before the candidate can be judged eligible to sit for the written examination. The Board confers the status of Educationally Qualified for Certification for a period of five years, during which time the dentist must take and pass the written examination.
Conditionally Board Eligible -- Dentists who are Conditionally Educationally Qualified and pass the written examination will not become Board Eligible until all continuing dental education requirements are completed.
Board Eligible -- A dentist who is Educationally Qualified for Certification becomes Board Eligible after filing a written examination application with fee and taking and passing the written examination.
Board Certified -- Board Certified status is conferred by the Board on all Board Eligible candidates who pass the oral examination, within five years of being declared Board Eligible.
II. BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR BOARD CERTIFICATION
A candidate seeking certification by the American Board of General Dentistry must submit all required applications to the Board and successfully pass all examinations given by the Board.
The requirements for eligibility to be examined by the Board are as follows:
- Possession
of a current license to practice dentistry granted by a dental licensing body
with jurisdiction in the
- Post-graduate professional experience and education or training in general dentistry which shall comply with one of the following Board-established entry points on the route to certification:
Entry Point I
Successful completion of a two-year postdoctoral general dentistry residency (AEGD or GPR) which is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).
The American Board of General Dentistry will certify those candidates who successfully pass the ABGD Written Examination and achieve FSBGD Diplomate status. Candidates must submit a copy of their FSBGD certificate to the ABGD in order to verify their FSBGD status, complete their files and receive ABGD Certification.
Entry Point II
Successful completion of a one-year postdoctoral general dentistry residency (AEGD or GPR) which is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) and documented attendance at a minimum of 600 clock hours of continuing dental education courses.
Entry Point III
Attainment
of the status of Master of the
III. APPLICATION PROCEDURES
THE QUALIFYING APPLICATION
Upon completion of a one-year or two-year postdoctoral general dentistry (PGD) program, or an AGD Mastership, candidates may submit a qualifying application to the ABGD staff. Applications must be made on forms available from the office of the Board.
The qualifying application form must be accompanied by the following:
1. Documentation of successful completion of all of the requirements outlined in one of the entry points on the route to certification; such documentation must conform to the requirements specified by the Board;
2. An application fee payable to the American
Board of General Dentistry, in
Postdoctoral General Dentistry Training
A photocopy of the certificate of completion from the accredited program is required.
Mastership in the Academy of General Dentistry
A copy of a letter from the Academy of General Dentistry verifying receipt of the MAGD, or a photocopy of the applicant’s MAGD plaque or certificate is required.
All qualifying applications must be submitted in English. The fee is not refundable, either in the event of application acceptance or rejection by the Board.
If the Board approves the qualifying application and documentation, the applicant will be declared Educationally Qualified or Conditionally Educationally Qualified for Certification and will be notified of this status by the American Board staff.
Candidates whose applications for Educationally Qualified or Conditionally Educationally Qualified for Certification status are denied may appeal to the Board. This appeal must be in writing and must be received by the Board within 60 days of the date notification is mailed to the candidate of denial.
Approved qualifying applications will remain on file with the Board for five years after approval. The Educationally Qualified or Conditionally Educationally Qualified status of individuals who do not take and pass the written examination within five years after the qualifying application was approved will be cancelled. A candidate must submit a new qualifying application and fee and be approved by the Board in order to be designated Educationally Qualified for another five-year period. The Conditionally Educationally Qualified status cannot be similarly renewed.
THE WRITTEN EXAMINATION
A candidate must submit a completed written examination application and fee to sit for the written examination within five years after being designated Educationally Qualified or Conditionally Educationally Qualified for Certification. Applications for the written examination are available through the office of the ABGD. Written examination applications must be submitted to the ABGD staff a minimum of 60 days prior to the test date for all candidates within the continental U. S. and 90 days prior to the test date for all candidates outside the continental U.S.
Candidates pursuing or certified by the Federal Services Board of General Dentistry who wish to sit for the ABGD Written Examination should refer to Section IV of this booklet for more information.
THE ORAL EXAMINATION APPLICATION
After passing the written examination and meeting all other eligibility requirements, a candidate is notified by the Board of his or her Board Eligible status. A candidate who is Board Eligible must complete the oral examination within five years after being declared Board Eligible. The oral examination application must be received no later than April 1of the year in which the examination will be taken.
The oral examination application must be accompanied by the three required case histories. Likewise, the case histories must be received by April 1 of the year in which the candidate plans to take the examination.
The Board will provide candidates with specifications for required case histories, as well as special case history forms, at the time that notification is given of Board Eligible status.
IV. CANDIDATES PURSUING OR CERTIFIED BY THE FEDERAL SERVICES BOARD OF GENERAL DENTISTRY
ELIGIBILITY
Those candidates who have graduated from a two-year general dentistry residency program and are currently pursuing or have already attained the Federal Services Board of General Dentistry (FSBGD) Diplomate status, are eligible to sit for the American Board of General Dentistry’s Written Examination.
REQUIREMENTS
Candidates must complete and submit the following in order to test:
The Qualifying Application - Candidates must be deemed educationally qualified before they can sit for the Written Examination. All necessary documentation must accompany the application. Without the proper documentation, the application will be deemed incomplete and the candidate will not be allowed to test.
The Written Application - Must be submitted 60 days prior to the test date for all candidates within the continental U. S. and 90 days prior to the test date for all candidates outside the continental U. S. For information on the written examination, see section VI.
The Appropriate Fees (see section IX for the fee schedule) - All fees must be paid in U.S. funds at the time the applications are submitted. Those applications submitted without the appropriate fees will be deemed incomplete.
FSBGD DIPLOMATE EXEMPTION FROM THE ABGD ORAL EXAMINATION
The ABGD oral certification examination requirement for Board Certification is waived for candidates who fulfill ALL of the following conditions:
1. Entry Point I: Two-year general dentistry residency, as confirmed by the ABGD.
2. Board Eligible Status: Achieved by passage of the ABGD written examination.
3. Evidence of Federal Services Board of General Dentistry (FSBGD) Diplomate Status: Achieved by passage of the FSBGD written and oral exams.
CERTIFICATION
The American Board of General Dentistry will certify those candidates who successfully pass the ABGD Written Examination and achieve FSBGD Diplomate status. Candidates MUST submit a copy of their FSBGD certificate to the American Board in order to verify their FSBGD status, complete their file and receive ABGD Certification.
V. CRITERIA FOR CONTINUING DENTAL EDUCATION (CDE) ACTIVITIES ACCEPTED FOR ENTRY INTO THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS
COURSE ATTENDANCE
Credit hour requirements for Entry Point II candidates may be completed after taking the written examination. Candidates who opt for this alternative will not become Board Eligible until they have completed the requirements and passed the examination.
- Courses must be a minimum of one hour in duration.
- Credit must be earned in specific subject categories, as outlined under “Subject Category Requirements.”
- Course content must be directly related to the practice of dentistry.
- Participation course credit is awarded only if the course meets the criteria of a participation course as defined herein.
OTHER ACCEPTABLE CDE ACTIVITIES
Teaching1: Original presentations receive three hours of credit for each hour of teaching. Repeat presentations receive hour-for-hour credit. Credit will be awarded upon receipt of verification from the sponsoring organization or institution. Credit for teaching does not apply toward the 200 hour participation requirement. Credit is awarded only for full- or part-time faculty positions at ADA/CDA-accredited institutions or for continuing education presentations sponsored by FAGD/MAGD-approved sponsors.
Publications1: Credit is awarded if an applicant authors a published scientific article or textbook, or chapter in a textbook.
1Note: Up to 100 hours of the 600 hours required of dentists applying via Entry Point II may be earned by teaching or publication. These teaching or publication hours can be applied to the minimum CDE requirements only after the minimum subject category hours required for Entry Point II are met through actual course attendance
SUBJECT CATEGORY REQUIREMENTS
A minimum number of hours must be earned through attendance at courses in each of the 11 dental subject categories as listed on the following page. After these minimums are met, dentists who meet the qualifications for entry via Entry Point II may apply credits earned in either actual course attendance, teaching, or publications. The maximum number of hours that will be accepted by the Board is also listed for each subject category. After subject category minimums are met, dentists may apply credits earned in elective courses.
|
600 CDE hours required (of which 200 hours must be in participation courses) |
||
|
Subject Category |
Minimum # of Hours Required |
Maximum # of Hours Accepted |
|
Operative Dentistry |
30 |
120 |
|
Periodontics |
30 |
120 |
|
Prosthodontics |
30 |
120 |
|
Endodontics |
30 |
120 |
|
Oral Surgery/ Oral Pathology |
30 |
120 |
|
Orthodontics/Pediatric Dentistry |
30 |
120 |
|
Radiology/Oral Diagnosis and Oral Medicine |
30 |
120 |
|
Aesthetics |
0 |
100 |
|
Basic Sciences |
0 |
100 |
|
Implant Dentistry |
0 |
100 |
|
Occlusion |
0 |
100 |
|
Special Patient Care |
0 |
100 |
|
Teaching/ Publications
|
0 |
100 |
REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION
Documentation must be provided for each CDE course attended, for teaching and publications, and for completion of a GPR or AEGD program, as specified here.
Course Attendance
1. Current AGD course record printouts
2. Course record forms
3. CDE registry records from a state recording service
4. Military records of CDE attendance
5. Letters of verification from CDE sponsors or instructors
Teaching
Letter from the applicant’s supervisor in the institution in which the applicant teaches, verifying the dates of the academic appointment, the subject area(s) taught, and the number of hours spent teaching each subject, are required, or an AGD course record print-out that indicates credit received for teaching.
Publications
A photocopy of the journal article or title page of the textbook is required, or an AGD print-out that indicates credit received for the publication.
VI. THE WRITTEN EXAMINATION
Examination Dates And Locations
The Board administers the written examination annually, on the first Friday in March in Chicago, Illinois, and also during the summer AGD Annual Meeting, in conjunction with the AGD Fellowship Examination. However, candidates sometimes arrange to sit for their examinations at military base sites run by the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES). While DANTES sites are not obligated to test civilians, many are willing to do so.
Those candidates testing at DANTES sites (for March or during the period of the Annual Meeting) within the continental U.S. or abroad MUST submit a letter to the ABGD office from the Test Control Officer (TCO) at the DANTES testing site. The letter MUST contain the following information:
- Name of the person who will administer the examination
- Shipping address for the examination
- Contact telephone number or e-mail address
- A statement confirming that the TCO will administer the exam and secure it until it is returned to the American Board of General Dentistry
- The letter must confirm the name of the candidate who will be sitting for the examination
Those candidates who wish to test at a DANTES site, but do not submit the appropriate letter from the Test Control Officer will NOT be allowed to test. Test Control Officers cannot e-mail this letter or telephone the ABGD for approval to test. Interested candidates may obtain a list of sites in a particular area by contacting the ABGD staff.
CONTENT
The Board develops its examinations based upon clinical knowledge, skills, and procedures delineated by the Board and validated by many dental professionals. The specific outline of this examination is printed in Appendix A of this document.
This examination is criterion-referenced. This means that a minimum passing score is determined by the Board, prior to the administration of the examination, based on what the Board considers to be the minimum knowledge a general dentist must possess to be considered proficient. If all examinees meet or surpass the minimum passing score, they all pass the examination. Their scores are not compared to other candidates.
The Board uses the Angoff method to determine the minimum passing score. This method is widely accepted in the field of testing and measurements as a means of systematically determining the minimum passing score. After the examination is administered, the difficulty and discrimination index of each question is evaluated and the preliminary Angoff cutoff score is adjusted to account for any inherent errors in the measurement system.
TESTING IRREGULARITIES
The written examination is proctored. Examples of irregularities include, but are not limited to, alterations of the test booklets, discrepancies in test materials, unforeseen interruptions in test administration and irregular behavior by candidate(s). Such irregularities will constitute grounds for invalidation of that candidate’s examination. The Board maintains full authority for failing candidates on the basis of irregular behavior.
RESULTS OF THE EXAMINATION
Candidates will be informed of the results of their performance on the written examination within nine weeks following its administration.
APPEAL MECHANISM
Candidates who fail the written examination may appeal this decision to the Board. A candidate whose written examination score is within five questions of the passing score may review and/or appeal the results of his/her performance on the examination by complying with the following procedures:
1. The candidate must submit a written request to the ABGD staff, stating his/her intent to appeal his/her examination scores to the Board. The request for appeal must be received within thirty (30) days after the examination scores are mailed to candidates.
2. The candidate must make arrangements through the ABGD staff to review his/her examination in Chicago for one day during normal ABGD office hours under the direct supervision of an ABGD appointed staff member, with AGD (and ADA, if necessary) reference materials available. This review must take place within 180 days after the letter of appeal is received by the ABGD staff.
3. The candidate will be provided only the questions he/she missed and only his/her responses to those questions (not the correct responses.) The candidate will be permitted to appeal no more than ten (10) questions.
4. The appeal must be developed during the review session and must contain a documented rationale for each question that the appellant believes he/she answered correctly. The appeal and all notes and examination materials must be given to the proctor at the end of the session.
5. The appeal will be reviewed by the ABGD at its next scheduled meeting. The Board will review and make a decision on each test question debated. Based on its deliberations, the Board will make a final decision regarding the candidate’s overall score on the written examination.
6. The results of the Board’s deliberations will be communicated to the candidate within 30 days of the Board meeting during which the appeal was reviewed.
7. The decision of the Board concerning all appeals of written examination scores will be final.
8. A candidate who elects to review and/or appeal the examination results is precluded from sitting for the written examination for one year from the date of his/her review and/or appeal of the previous examination. Formal appeal procedures are available from the ABGD staff. Each appeal must be submitted in writing and must be received by the Board within 30 days after the examination results are mailed.
RETAKING THE WRITTEN EXAMINATION
The written examination is comprehensive. Therefore, if candidates fail the examination, they must retake the entire examination, not just those areas on which they did poorly. Candidates are allowed a maximum of three opportunities to take and successfully complete the written examination, regardless of the number of times that Educationally Qualified status is conferred. Permission to take the written examination a fourth time may be granted only after the candidate submits a formal request to the Board stating the measures he/she has taken to improve his/her probability of successfully passing the examination. Formal appeal procedures may be obtained from the American Board staff.
VII. THE ORAL EXAMINATION
The final step in the certification process involves passing the Oral Examination.
DATES AND LOCATIONS
The oral examination is given
annually in conjunction with the
CONTENT
The oral examination consists of two parts:
1. Case presentations and defense and
2. An oral examination covering all areas of general dentistry, but not necessarily related to the candidate’s cases.
Additional instructions and case presentation forms are sent to the candidate when he or she attains Board Eligible status.
THE CASE PRESENTATION AND DEFENSE PORTION OF THE ORAL EXAMINATION
The case presentation and defense section of the oral examination allows the candidate the opportunity to demonstrate clinical abilities in diagnosis, treatment planning, case organization, documentation and treatment.
Each candidate is required to submit three cases. Each case must include at least three categories from the following list:
1. Fixed Prosthodontics, Removable Prosthodontics or Implants
2. Periodontal Treatment
3. Operative Dentistry
4. Oral Pathology/Oral Medicine
5. Oral Surgery
6. Orthodontics/Pediatric Dentistry/Public Health Dentistry
7. Endodontics
- One case must include replacement of missing teeth, using fixed prosthodontics, removable prosthodontics or implants,
- One case must include periodontal treatment, and
- One case must include operative dentistry. Operative dentistry is defined as the restoration of individual teeth.
All cases must conform to the following criteria:
1. The case must have been performed by the candidate acting as the primary clinician.
2. All documentation required by the Board must be provided. Case history record forms and other pertinent materials supplied by the Board must be used.
3. Submitted cases must be complete.
Prior to April 1 each year, copies of the following items for each case are to be submitted to the Board for review and verification. Please note that more detailed specifications for the following items will be enclosed with the application:
1. Patient release form
2. Medical history
3. Treatment planning forms
4. Pre-treatment full mouth periapical radiographs (may be from digital radiographs)
5. Post-treatment radiographs as appropriate (may be from digital radiographs)
6. Pre-treatment and post-treatment photographic series as 35 mm color slides or digital images
7. Unmounted duplicate pre-treatment and post-treatment casts
All cases will be returned to the candidate.
Cases must meet all Board-established criteria in order to be accepted for presentation. If a case history is judged as “conditionally acceptable”, it will be returned to the candidate with instructions on corrections and procedures for resubmission.
If a case is judged as “unacceptable”, it will be returned to the candidate. The candidate must then submit a new case history to the Board.
All case presentation materials must be brought to the oral examination by the candidate.
The Board will identify the two cases the candidate must present and defend. The candidate will have a maximum of 15 minutes to orally present each case to the examiners. The examiners will question the candidate on each case, including questions about hypothetical situations suggested by the case histories. All questions and responses will be evaluated by the examiners individually and independently.
THE DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC PORTION OF THE ORAL EXAMINATION
This examination will be administered in eight sessions during a four-hour period. Each session will last 25 minutes. The eight sessions will consist of topic groupings as follows:
1. Oral Diagnosis/Oral Medicine/Oral Pathology
2. Oral Surgery/Oral Radiology
3. Orthodontics/Pediatric Dentistry/Public Health Dentistry/Infection Control
4. Endodontics
5. Periodontics
6. Operative Dentistry/Dental Materials
7. Fixed Prosthodontics/implants
8. Removable Prosthodontics/implants
RESULTS OF THE ORAL EXAMINATION
Results of the oral exami