This Week at AGD

Oregon AGD provided free dental care to 232 patients at the OAGD Foundation Center's 12-chair dental clinic during its “Comprehensive Training in Parenteral Moderate Sedation” course in September. If you're considering training in moderate sedation, Oregon AGD will offer the course again in 2027.

Join us Dec. 4 for AGD’s Virtual Advocacy Conference and earn 4.5 free CE credits. Understand how evolving federal and state policies affect your daily operations, and learn actionable ways to help protect our profession.

Read the latest issue for new research across subject areas. Highlights include the first installment of a new column covering dental sleep medicine, an examination of interoperability and the future of dental practice, case reports, materials studies and, much more.

This month’s lineup of live webinars covers soft tissue and bone strategies in implant dentistry, root resorption diagnosis and treatment, and mental health considerations for dental patients. Join these sessions to learn practical clinical techniques and earn required CE hours.

Expand payment options with CareCredit Pay Later. Offer seamlessly integrated, fixed installment loans to help eliminate front-desk bottlenecks, protect patient relationships and drive practice growth.

This special double issue features a cover story on the recent FDA approval of a GLP-1–like weight loss drug for obstructive sleep apnea and stories on the three military dentists who have been awarded the Medal of Honor, how to relocate your dental office, and shinrin-yoku, also known as forest bathing.

Trauma-informed care is treating patients in a way that intentionally tries to avoid retraumatization and supports updated and processed realities about safety and control in the patient’s life. This type of care recognizes that best intentions and dental training can still have harmful impacts when we lean a person with sexual trauma back in our chairs.

In this month’s AGD Impact, Dr. Sweta Shah focuses on the kaizen approach to mindfulness in dentistry. Just as mastering a Class I filling begins with understanding the basics, mindfulness starts with small, consistent actions. Our minds and bodies are powerful instruments; when trained with intention, they can generate profound results.

AGD is working to address the most pressing issues faced by our members as we advocate to government entities for general dentists.

AGD’s member benefits provide dental practice owners savings on insurance and financial products, educational services, and practice management tools. Save money on office supplies, promotional products, lab services and more.

Within the last 5 years, there has been a marked increase in the appeal of pickleball. A new review in General Dentistry explores the literature on head and neck injuries associated with the sport, including facial trauma; concussion; and fractures to the nose, orbital bones, skull and mandible.

Earning your FAGD, MAGD or LLSR signifies a commitment to high-caliber patient care and professional growth. Ensure your hard work is formally honored during the Convocation Ceremony at AGD2027 in Chicago.

While a few years ago AI in the operatory meant flagging findings, sorting images or lightening administrative loads, today, the technology reaches further into the decisions that define the profession. What is AI’s current role in diagnosis, treatment planning, how findings are communicated to patients and how claims are reviewed by payers?

The Fellowship Review Course and Exam arrive at the Greater New York Dental Meeting, Nov. 29 to Dec. 1 at the Javits Center. Earn 16 CE credits, review core disciplines with expert instructors, and take the Fellowship Exam — all in one convenient trip.

There’s no denying that AI could transform dental marketing, but it will never change what matters most: trust, expertise, authenticity and patient connection. The latest AGD Impact Marketing column provides expert insights to help members be strategic about this new frontier of web search.

Dental Card Services, an AGD Exclusive Benefits provider, analyzed the 500 most recent merchant statements submitted by dental practices. The study found that practices paid an average effective processing rate of 3.37%, with nearly 20% paying 4% or more.

Join AGD on December 4 for the Virtual Advocacy Conference and earn 4.5 free CE credits. Stay ahead of key legislative and regulatory changes affecting general dentistry, learn directly from AGD leaders, and get the insights you need to safeguard your practice.

If your student loan payments are changing, consider AGD Exclusive Benefits provider Juno, a student loan refinancing platform offering group-negotiated rates and cash back bonuses up to $1,000.

Finding time for quality training is tough, but the AGD Online Learning Center makes it simple. Explore a constantly updated catalog covering key specialties like periodontics, prosthodontics and pediatric dentistry. Work through on-demand webinars, or complete Self-Instruction exercises whenever you have a break in your day.

In the past decade, technology has forever changed the landscape of dentistry. Five simple technologies have been adopted into both the assessment and treatment phases of the dental hygiene process of care and are having major impacts on the patient experience.