Dentist Protocol March 2018 - Current
Dentist Protocol March 2018 - Current
Dentist Protocol March 2018 - Current
INTRODUCTION
Purpose, Benefits, Process 2
WRITTEN EXAMINATION
Purpose 2
Eligibility, Fees, Content 2-3
Type of Examination, Sample Examinations 3
Time Limit 4
ORAL EXAMINATION
Purpose 9
Eligibility, Fees and Guidelines for Appearance at Oral Examination 9-10
Grading: Pass/Fail 10
Maintaining Accredited Status 10-11
As techniques and materials have improved, the Accreditation process has continued to set a
standard for excellence in cosmetic dentistry. Accreditation represents the acknowledgment of
a dentist’s or laboratory technician’s dedication to excellence in cosmetic dentistry. The
American Board of Cosmetic Dentistry® (ABCD) administers Accreditation and the examination
process.
Purpose
Accreditation serves to set standards for excellence in cosmetic dentistry. Achieving Accredited
status from the AACD requires dedication to continuing education, careful adherence to the
protocols and a resolve to produce exceptional dentistry.
Benefits
The Accreditation process of the Academy benefits you and your patients. The process
encourages further education, interaction with like-minded colleagues and opportunity for
professional growth. Prospective patients who call or interface with the Academy on the
website are informed that Accredited Members have passed a rigorous Accreditation process
that demonstrates enhanced skill in cosmetic dentistry. Accredited laboratory technicians are
in greater demand for their services and are able to meet dentists who share the same
philosophy and goals. You will become a better dentist or laboratory technician, and patients
will benefit from the higher quality of service and treatment that you will be able to provide.
Written Examination
The Accreditation Written Examination tests a dentist’s foundational knowledge in cosmetic
dentistry. Dentists who are knowledgeable in all phases of cosmetic dentistry are expected to
pass the written examination. Failure to pass the written examination indicates that a dentist
would likely benefit from further education in cosmetic dentistry prior to attempting the
submission of clinical cases. The written examination is administered at the Annual AACD
Scientific Session and at additional dates as directed by the ABCD. The annual scientific
session is held in the spring at different locations, and is publicized well in advance of the
date.
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Application and Fees
Applications for the written examination are made through the AACD Executive Office. An
application will be mailed upon request or is available on the AACD website at www.aacd.com.
A non-refundable written examination fee of $400 member / $600 non-member (USD) must
accompany the application. If you elect to take the written examination at a testing center
during the allotted time frame, the non-refundable application fee is $600 (USD). In addition,
testing center fees will be applied.
Postponement
If the written examination is postponed in writing, an administrative fee of $125 (USD) will
be required to reschedule. Failure to appear for a scheduled written examination will result in
forfeiture of the entire fee.
Content
Foundational knowledge in cosmetic dentistry includes all disciplines of dentistry with an
emphasis on those subjects with a special relevance to aesthetics. Subjects may include, but
are not limited to:
Smile design
Adhesion
Materials
Occlusion
Porcelain/resin restorations
Posterior aesthetic restorations
Bridges and pontics
Implants
Color/shade
Whitening
Periodontics
Orthodontics
Laboratory communication
Photography
Some questions will be included that are based on scenarios of clinical cases concerned with
cosmetic dentistry.
Type of Examination/Grading
The written examination is a multiple-choice examination. Each question is referenced to a
textbook or referred source to ensure its validity. A reference library and sample written
examinations are available on the AACD website at www.aacd.com.
In order to have credibility with the dental community, all steps are followed to ensure that
the written examination complies with the established rules of testing. A representative of a
testing agency is present when the written examination is compiled. The educational testing
and measurement consultant is also responsible for grading the written examination and
presents the results to the ABCD. For more information contact the AACD Credentialing
Department at 800.543.9220.
Sample Examinations
Some questions will be taken from the written examinations each year and will be released in
the form of a sample examination. The sample examinations may be purchased on the AACD
website at www.aacd.com.
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Time Limit
There is a five-year time limit to complete the entire Accreditation process. The clinical case
portion of the Accreditation process must be completed by the expiration of the candidate’s
written examination. The oral examination must be successfully completed by the oral
examination session immediately following the expiration of the candidate’s written
examination. In order to be fair to all individuals pursuing Accreditation in the AACD, the ABCD
has established policy that no waivers or time extensions will be granted within the
Accreditation process.
NOTE: ALL required teeth treated must be upper anterior teeth and permanent.
When additional teeth are treated they are judged using the same criteria as the required
teeth. Only one case type per patient may be used.
Submission Procedure
A total of five clinical case submissions must be examined and passed to complete the second
part of the Accreditation process. From one to five clinical cases may be submitted at a time,
however, only one of each case type may be submitted at a time for examination.
Clinical case submissions must be completed and received on or prior to the deadline date
and must include all of the required materials for the case to be examined at the next
available examination session.
Be sure to follow the protocol exactly. Please double check that you have included all the
required materials. All materials submitted become property of the AACD.
2. Fees
The non-refundable submission fee is $250 member / $350 non-member (USD) per clinical
case submitted.
4. Photographic Documentation
The Photographic Documentation and Evaluation in Cosmetic Dentistry - A Guide to
Accreditation Photography represents and illustrates the specific photographic documentation
required for the clinical case submission portion of the AACD Accreditation Examination.
The AACD will not define specific equipment requirements, however, the AACD has outlined
criteria to produce quality images. The protocol and equipment recommendations are
expected to evolve with advances in technology.
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Image Criteria
Digital image quality is contingent upon six distinct factors related to the image itself. Proper
set up and use of your camera and adjunctive photographic equipment maximizes results.
Correct color
Correct exposure
Depth of field
Good tonal range
Image sharpness
All images need to be captured in landscape orientation
Many consumer grade digital cameras capture images that are visibly degraded due to
small capture chips and internal firmware. They may also lack the ability to control
exposure and depth of field during macro image capture.
Image Editing
No global, focal, fixed point or spot editing is allowed
Global, focal, fixed point or spot editing is strictly prohibited and considered fraudulent. This
means even innocent changes such as cleaning up dust spots, cropping, rotating, resizing or
eliminating red eye is not allowed.
Case Submission
Dentists pursuing Accreditation may submit all clinical cases online through the credentialing
module. The module is located in your MyAACD account, under AACD Credentialing on the
lower right-hand side. All materials become property of the AACD.
Passed Cases
In preparation for oral examinations, an external flash drive loaded with your passed RAW
images must be submitted. The external drive must be loaded with preoperative folders for
each case type, and postoperative folders for each case type. The folders must also contain
required radiographic documentation and any required technique slides. All required
Accreditation images must be loaded onto this flash drive.
Please review both pre-op and post-op images to ensure all views are
correct. Incomplete submissions will not be examined.
Accreditation Examination
Accreditation examiners will examine cases with appropriate media for image viewing and
evaluating.
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If teeth are treated sequentially rather than simultaneously, use a central incisor to illustrate
the first 4 steps. Step 5, prior to final polishing, MUST show all of the teeth.
As technology continually evolves, increasing opportunities exist for fraud. Although the AACD
knows that few would resort to such unethical behavior, the AACD is committed to ensuring
the integrity of the Accreditation process through proactive measures to verify supporting
documentation for clinical case submissions. Such measures are designed to maintain the
integrity of the credential without imposing an undue hardship on dentists pursuing
Accreditation.
Examiners are trained in specialized software tools to detect manipulation of the digital image
in violation of this protocol including spot editing. Any alteration of images, falsification of
information or attempt to mislead the examiners is grounds for immediate termination of the
Accreditation process and permanent disqualification from obtaining Accreditation in the
future.
7. Radiographic Documentation
Post-op periapical radiographs are required for all cases. An implant must also include a pre-
op radiograph prior to implant placement. Radiographs must be of diagnostic quality. Up to six
radiographs can be submitted to show all required treated teeth. Additional treated teeth do
not require radiographic documentation. In the event that the radiographic images submitted
by the dentist suggest that there has been manipulation or editing of the image in violation of
this protocol, it is grounds for immediate termination of the Accreditation process and
permanent disqualification from obtaining Accreditation in the future. When submitting
multiple radiographic images, please be sure to separate them.
8. Written Report
The written report is to be submitted as outlined in the credentialing module. Reports are
expected to be well organized, original, accurate and complete. Include the following
information in the written report:
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We strongly recommend that you start by creating an electronic version of your
report and then transfer the information to its respective areas of the online
report. You will be expected to be knowledgeable of the information within your
written report during your oral examination, so saving and storing a copy of the
submitted written report with your own documentation (i.e. a Word document) is
highly encouraged.
Grading/Examination
Each clinical case is examined anonymously by a panel of five examiners. A majority of “pass”
votes are required to pass a case. The dentist may resubmit clinical cases until all five have
received a passing score. When all five clinical cases have received a passing score, the
dentist is eligible to continue to phase three, the oral examination.
Resubmission Information
A member in the process that does not successfully complete the Accreditation process in their
allotted five-year time frame may be eligible for a one-time roll-forward of successfully passed
clinical case(s) to a new five-year time period. The requirements for eligibility are as follows:
The written examination must be taken no later the next annual scientific session
following term expiration to initiate a new five-year time frame
The case being submitted for roll-forward has not been rolled forward in the past
The candidate feels that he or she can comfortably and thoroughly explain and defend
treatment decisions at the oral examination
A roll-forward form is completed and submitted to the credentialing department for
each passed case being requested
A fee of $250 member / $350 non-member will be required with each case roll-forward
and submitted with the required form
Oral Examination
Purpose
The purpose of the Accreditation Oral Examination is two-fold. The first purpose is to provide
the dentist an opportunity to verify and authenticate passed casework. The dentist may be
asked questions about case selection, diagnosis and treatment planning, or materials and
techniques on any of their passed clinical case submissions. The dentist’s knowledge
should clearly demonstrate a familiarity and understanding of these cases.
Additional questions may be asked that cover related topics considered relevant by the
examiners.
The second purpose of the oral examination is to provide the dentist with an opportunity to
demonstrate their treatment planning abilities. The dentist will be presented with information
regarding a pre-selected case. Adequate time will be allowed for the dentist to formulate a
treatment plan, which will then be shared and discussed.
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Eligibility for Appearance at the Oral Examination
To take the oral examination at the next given date, the following requirements must be met:
The dentist must have passed all five required clinical cases
Attended at least half of the annual scientific sessions, starting with the session that
the dentist took and passed the written examination
Application completed and fee paid for the oral examination, which must accompany the
submission of your external flash drive that contains all cases properly loaded with the original
RAW images. The external drive must be loaded with preoperative folders for each case type,
and postoperative folders for each case type. The folders must also contain required
radiographic documentation and any required technique slides. The application and oral
examination flash drive must be mailed to the AACD Executive Office, prior to scheduling an
appearance for this exam.
Postponement
The dentist may defer appearance for the oral examination as long as all three phases of the
Accreditation process are completed within the time limit. If the oral examination is postponed
in writing at least two months in advance an administrative fee of
$125 (USD) must be paid to reschedule. If the oral examination is postponed with less than
two months’ notice the original application fee will be forfeited.
Grading: Pass/Fail
Pass
With the successful completion of the oral examination, a dentist becomes an Accredited
Member in the AACD.
Fail
A dentist may retake the oral examination one time immediately following the expiration of
their five-year time period and must successfully pass the next time the oral examination is
administered. A second failure at the oral examination terminates the Accreditation process.
Submission of a new written examination application is required to begin the Accreditation
process again.
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Accreditation Award Ceremony
With the successful completion of the oral examination, a dentist becomes an Accredited
Member of the AACD. The recognition ceremony and presentation of the award will be held at
the next annual scientific session.
Maintaining Accredited Member or Accredited Fellow Member Status
The Accreditation process has become recognized as the gold standard in cosmetic dentistry.
It represents an intensely calibrated measurement of those specific clinicians and laboratory
technicians that have applied themselves to a vigorous level of examination and evaluation of
their skills and knowledge relative to cosmetic dentistry by a jury of their peers. The credential
is the accomplishment of a single provider and is not necessarily a reflection of the practice or
laboratory within which the provider performs. The acknowledgement of this credential is
beyond reproach and identifies those leaders in the field of cosmetic dentistry.
Although the tribute to these talents and accomplishments are achieved at a single point in
time, this proficiency requires continual dedication to education, advances in cosmetic
dentistry and excellence in current patient care. Because of these ongoing requisites, there
are requirements in maintaining Active Status for the protection of the credential. The
purpose of these maintenance requirements is to assure the esteem and integrity of the
credential to the profession and the public at large.
2. Maintain active and continuous hands-on patient **clinical practice. These activities and
procedures may include the management of diagnosis and treatment planning, mentoring or
even over the shoulder care, but must include hands-on patient care in the role of delivering
intraoral treatment as the clinician or technician fabricating restorations within the past six
months with routine frequency to the satisfaction of the ABCD.
** Clinical practice for our purposes is defined as actual handling of the patients’ dental needs
through preparation, impressions and delivering of restorations, etc. It is not considered
clinical practice if no direct patient care is being performed. It is not considered clinical
practice if one is only reading x-rays, working up patient treatment plans, presenting
treatment plans, and consulting or advising for patient care.
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