Your Dentist is a Fellow or Master
of the Academy of General Dentistry
What does FAGD or MAGD stand for after your general
dentist's name?
Your Dentist is a member of the Academy of the 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 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
follow a lifelong pursuit of continuing education to provide
the highest quality 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 award. 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 of Masterships?
To date, more than 10,000 members of the Academy of General
Dentistry have become Fellows and more that 1,000 have gone
to receive Mastership. The Academy is 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, you
can be assured that they are dedicated to providing the
finest care in general dentistry.
