Recertification Program for Diplomates
of the American Board of Dental Public Health
Background
The American Board of Dental Health (ABDPH) recognizes that continued competency in the specialty requires life-long learning and that this should be designed to enrich past educational and training activities. To promote this, the ABDPH is implementing a recertification program for its diplomates. The goal of the recertification is to assure the ability of the diplomates to provide the highest quality of service to the public and the profession. The program became effective in the year 2000. Diplomates certified during the year 2000 or after are initially certified for ten (10) years and can maintain this certification through payment of prescribed annual registration fees. To be eligible for recertification, diplomates must comply with the provisions of the mandatory continuing education requirement as set forth in section II.
This program is voluntary for those individuals who are diplomates of the ABDPH as of January 1, 2000. The ABDPH strongly urges all diplomates to participate in the program. This voluntary approach recognizes the previously established rights of certified diplomates, but still promotes the attainment of continuing competency for all diplomates in dental public health. All diplomates are required to pay the annual registration fee in order to remain in good standing. Further, the moral and ethical precepts required for initial certification or annual registration remain in effect.
Requirements for recertification
The overall qualifying standard for recertification is for diplomates to acquire at least 100 hours of continuing education credits in dental public health over a ten-year period. The program is summarized below:
- Each diplomate certified in the year 2000 or after must acquire at a minimum 100 hours of continuing credits in dental public health over a ten-year period.
- Each diplomate, as mandated or on a voluntary basis for those qualifying, shall comply with the continuing education requirements as set forth in sections III and IV.
- Diplomates may elect to apply for recertification any time; however, the recertification is valid only for a maximum of a ten-year period.
Program administration
Each diplomate must submit an Continuing Education Record form on an annual basis at the time of reregistration. This form provides for listing the types of activity and the number of credits requested. Although this program relies on a self-report mechanism of continuing education activities, diplomates must be able to produce acceptable documentary evidence upon request. The ABDPH will constitute a Standards and Recertification Committee (SRC) consisting of (five) 5 diplomates and maintain a registry to monitor the recertification program. Upon receipt of the Continuing Education Reporting form, the SRC will determine the number of credits and report it to the ABDPH. Diplomates are responsible for maintaining their own records including keeping copies, documentation and summaries of their CEUs forms to document compliance with Recertification Process.
Guidelines for continuing education credits
Acceptable continuing education shall mean learning activities which contribute to maintaining or enhancing competency in dental public health. The following types of activities are acceptable for credits:
- Attendance at and/or delivery of a formal continuing education course. Documentation or letters of completion from the American Association of Public Health Dentistry, International/American Association for Dental Research, American Public Health Association, Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors, and other recognized national and international organizations who have institutionalized continuing professional development programs related to the competency objectives in dental public health are acceptable.
- Documentation or letters of completion from other sponsors of continuing education relevant to the field of dental public health are acceptable provided the number of hours of activities can be directly linked to the dental public health competency statements (J Public Health Dent 1998; 58 (Suppl):114-18).
- Authorship of publications related to dental public health will be given credits. A publication is defined as a book, a chapter of a book, or a paper published in a professional journal. Publications of manuals, workshop proceedings, and background papers are also acceptable. The acceptable number of credits will vary from 5 to 10 depending upon the nature of the publication.
- Attendance at formal lectures, symposia, workshops and conferences relevant to the field of dental public health. This activity will be given credit provided the material presented is organized around and directed toward identified competency statements. The number of credits will be equal to the number of hours attended.
- Completion of individualized continuing education instruction. Individualized instruction is defined as a course of study which is structured and organized toward accomplishing competency in dental public health. A method of providing feedback to the learner on performance must be incorporated. Documentation of the number of credits must be available for audit.
- Learning activities that are repeated on a periodic basis will be given credit only once in a ten-year period. The routine performance of teaching duties in an undergraduate or graduate curriculum, or the routine participation in organizational meetings will not be given credits.
Appeal process
Diplomates may appeal the report of the SRC relative to the continuing education credits. Appeals must be submitted in writing to the Executive Director of the ABDPH with necessary documents within sixty (60) days of the notification. The appeal should clearly identify the areas of disagreement and provide the supporting documents. The appeal will be reviewed by the Board and responded to within sixty (60) days of the receipt of the appeal.
Failure to comply with the recertification requirements
The ABDPH, at its discretion, may issue a conditional recertification to a diplomate who fails to meet the continuing education requirements but who agrees to make up any deficiencies and take any additional credits which the ABDPH may require.
A diplomate who is notified of the denial of recertification for failure to submit evidence satisfactory to the ABDPH may be subject to disciplinary actions pursuant to policies of the ABDPH. Failure to meet the continuing education requirements will be deemed to constitute a gross departure from the tenets of sound public health practice. In such situations, the Board has the power to revoke certificates.
Continuing Education Activity Filing process
- To file your ABDPH Annual Report of Continuing Education Activity, download and complete the Continuing Education Record. After you have entered all credits for which you are applying, be sure to click "Click here to Calculate Credits when you are Finished!" in order to accurately calculate the total credits requested. Complete the electronic signature. I hereby certify that the Annual Record of Continuing Education Activity represents a true and accurate report for this period. The reporting period is from January to December.
Signature: ________________________________________ Date: ____________
[ ] By checking this box, I am providing my electronic signature approving all the information entered on this form. (Please enter name and date on signature and date lines above).
- Save the CE Record after adding your First Name Initial, Last Name, and CE data year (e.g. CE Record-JAlderman-2009).
Starting with 2009 CE data, E-mail a signed copy to the Executive Director, ABDPHabdph@comcast.net). If you have any questions, please contact the Executive Director by email (abdph@comcast.net).
Return the completed form to:
E. Joseph Alderman, DDS, MPH
Executive Director
ABDPH; 827 Brookridge Dr. NE
Atlanta, GA 30306-3618
Phone: (404.876.3530;
E-Mail: abdph@comcast.net
