Welcome to the Academy of General Dentistry’s (AGD) Presentation

Shaping Your Future Today: Finding Your Passion in General Dentistry

Presented by {add presenter name}

What is the AGD?

• The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) is the second largest dental association in the world with 35,000 members

• The AGD is exclusively dedicated to serving the needs and interests of the general dentist.

• AGD provides members with the resources and toolsthey need to succeed

• AGD fosters professional development and camaraderie

• AGD makes the transition into practice easier

• AGD protects and supports the profession through advocacy efforts

Core Purpose: To advance the value and excellence of general dentistry

What does that mean to you?• Once you’ve completed dental school, continuing

education helps you develop proficiency in practicing dentistry

• Professional development offers a way of benchmarking and tracking your progress towards developing proficiency

• Pursuing lifelong learning such as the Fellowship and Mastership helps you to develop camaraderie with like-minded professionals

Just a few things about me

• {add key personal information about presenter}

What’s on YOUR mind?

Getting Started• Goal Setting (chapter 1)

– Developing personal and professional goals– Utilizing the goal setting outline

• Developing a Business Plan– Encompasses goals and maps out your plans

Practice and Post-Grad Options• Practice Options (chapter 2)

– How to practice? It’s a personal choice. • Associateship• Purchasing an existing practice• Opening a new practice

• Postgraduate Options – Residencies and Specialties

Did you know? AGD members who are interested in pursuing the AGD FellowshipAward and complete an AEGD or GPR residency program can receive up to 250 CE credit hours toward the 500 hour requirement. Many constituents also offer a FellowTrack program to help prepare pre-Fellows in pursuing this prestigious award.

Systems Development (chapter 4)What is systems development?

• Organizing your day to day operations for your practice• Chart maintenance• Accounts receivable/collections• Tracking your numbers (yes, all of them)• Appointment control• Continuing care• Inventory control• Recall, recall, recall

Systems Development (cont’d)• Staffing

– A practice is only as good as the team who runs it. – The basics of a workable system– Commitment and communication– Hiring and firing

• Dental Laboratories– What to expect and what to look for– Small versus large? – Certified Dental Technicians (CDT)

Did you know? AGD offers an online Career Center where you can post your resume or curriculum vita and search for practice or employment opportunities.

What about all of the debt?• Debt Management (chapter 6)

– Average dental school debt is around $200,000– Knowing your credit score– Good debt vs. bad debt – Your plan to get out of debt– Developing a personal and practice budget

Turning your career into a passion• Network and Get Involved! (chapter 7)

– Find a mentor – Join a local study club– Get involved in national and local professional associations

Did you know? AGD offers many ways to connect with some of the best and brightest inthe dental profession. From the AGD Annual Meeting & Exhibits to the Future LeadersConference to the online Member Forums, it’s easy to stay involved!

Turning your career into a passion (cont’d)

• Continuing Education (chapter 8)– Helps keep you at your best– Lifelong learning is essential to staying informed, up to date

and on the cutting edge– Your patients will notice the difference and appreciate it

• Different types of continuing education

Did you know? The AGD offers a variety of continuing education opportunities? Withmore than 40 hands-on courses offered at the AGD Annual Meeting & Exhibits, FREEonline AGD CE to members, Self-Instruction through General Dentistry and many localcourses offered through constituents, AGD is always at the forefront of continuingeducation and lifelong learning.

Turning your career into a passion (cont’d)

• Organized Dentistry (chapter 9)– Developing professional relationships

– The importance of participating

– Philanthropy and giving back to the community

– Finding the right organizations for you

Did you know? AGD Foundation’s Special Olympics, Special Smiles is a partnership between the AGDFoundation and the Special Olympics to help identify providers for primary dental care for SpecialOlympics and to provide dental screenings at Special Olympic events and in-office dental care for the athletes, their families, their care-givers.

Your Checklist to Success

• Located in the back of the student manual• Helps you to organize your to-do list and keep you on

track

Anything else?

More questions? {add presenter and local AGD contact

information}.

Want to join? Fill out the provided membership application

and turn in at the end of the session. For more information or to join online, visit

www.agd.org.

Thank you…and good luck!