Colorado Dental Board Upholds AAID Credential Advertising
CHICAGO, Aug. 14, 2008 - The American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) today voiced strong support for a recent decision by the Colorado Dental Board allowing AAID credentialed implant dentists to advertise their qualifications to the public. The decision follows an aggressive joint effort by AAID, the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) and the Academy of Laser Dentistry (ALD) to convince the Colorado Dental Board to allow dentists to advertise bona fide credentials in dentistry. The regulation passed by the Colorado Dental Board provides that advertisements by dentists to the public may include credentials earned from AAID or other legitimate professional organizations, but also should include the phrase 'general dentist' if applicable. "This is a victory for dentists in Colorado who have completed the rigorous criteria and testing to obtain Associate Fellow and Fellow credentials from the AAID or Diplomate certification from the American Board of Oral Implantology / Implant Dentistry," said Dr. Frank. R. Recker, legal counsel for AAID. "These credentials give the public valuable information regarding a dentist's postgraduate education, training and experience in implant dentistry." All AAID credentialed members must have completed at least 300 hours of postdoctoral instruction specifically in implant dentistry, passed a comprehensive written examination, and presented cases demonstrating successful completion of different types of implants to a group of examiners. It is one of the most comprehensive and rigorous professional credentialing programs in dentistry. Credentialed AAID members include general dentists, periodontists, prosthodontists and oral surgeons. Recker also praised the involvement of AGD, AACD and ALD in helping AAID forge a strong coalition and communicate a united position in opposition to the proposed advertising restrictions. "This was a very effective partnership that upheld the rights of general dentists to promote their bona fide credentials in various areas of dentistry, including oral implantology," he said. AAID can help consumers find a local credentialed implant dentist at www.aaid.com.
AAID is based in Chicago and has more than 3,500 members. It is the first organization dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of implant dentistry by supporting research and education to advance comprehensive implant knowledge.