How to get into an AEGD program
A year (or two) of advanced general dentistry, run by schools, hospitals or clinics. Facts on this page link to the ADA, CODA, ADEA or the program that says them, checked 2026-10-22. Every program sets its own rules, so confirm on each program's page before you apply.
🗺 103 AEGD programs on the map📮 ADEA PASS Program Finder ↗
1 What the program is
An AEGD is advanced training in general dentistry, not a specialty. CODA's standards describe AEGD and GPR programs as expanding a graduate's skills to give comprehensive care to a wide range of patients.
Unlike a GPR, which must be sponsored by or affiliated with a hospital, CODA lets an AEGD be sponsored by an accredited school, hospital or health care organization. Check each program for hospital rotations and call.
2 Program length and degrees
CODA accredits one-year AEGD programs, one-year programs with an optional second year, and required two-year programs. Case Western Reserve and Asian Health Services, for example, list 12-month certificate programs on ADEA PASS.
Our residency map shows 103 CODA-accredited aegd programs, from CODA's list as of 2026-09-30.
3 How you apply
Many programs take applications through ADEA PASS, the American Dental Education Association's centralized application for advanced dental education. ADEA says PASS opens the second Wednesday of May and closes the second Friday of February. Each program sets its own deadline inside that window; in the 2026–27 cycle the first program deadline was July 1, 2026.
PASS asks every applicant for an Institution Evaluation Form (the "dean's letter") and three Professional Evaluation Forms, with room for two more optional ones. All of them go to every program you choose.
The ADEA PASS Program Finder lists the programs that take part in PASS. A program that is not listed there takes applications another way, and its own website explains how.
Some programs fill their positions through the Postdoctoral Dental Matching Program (the "Dental Match"), which the ADA describes as the program that matches applicants to postdoctoral programs. Each program's ADEA PASS listing has a "Match Participating" line that says yes or no.
The AEGD programs we checked on ADEA PASS (Case Western Reserve and Asian Health Services) were not Match participants. Each program sets its own process and dates.
4 The ADAT for aegd
The ADAT (Advanced Dental Admission Test) is the ADA's admission test for advanced programs. The ADA accepts applications to take it from March 1 to August 31. Whether you need it depends entirely on the program.
1 aegd program in our ADAT requirement guide, read on each program's own page in Oct 2026:
- Columbia CDM – AEGD (US/Canadian applicants): optional / accepted
5 A D1–D4 timeline
General guidance; dated items (the ADAT window, ADEA PASS) are from the ADA and ADEA.
D1
- Spend time in your school's specialty clinics and talk with residents and faculty about what the work is like.
- Keep your grades strong from the first semester.
D2
- Narrow to one or two fields and find a faculty mentor in each.
- Start a research or case project you can finish and present.
D3
- Make a list of target programs and note what each one asks for: tests, letters, deadlines, and whether it is in the Match.
- If any program wants the ADAT, apply to test early: the ADA takes ADAT applications from March 1 to August 31.
- In the spring, ask three faculty members for Professional Evaluation Forms and let your dean's office know you will need an Institution Evaluation Form.
- Visit or extern at programs that offer it, and draft your personal statement and CV.
Summer before D4
- Submit ADEA PASS as early as you can after it opens in May; some program deadlines fall in early summer.
- If any of your programs take part in the Dental Match, register for it as well.
D4
- Interview through the fall and winter.
- Follow each program's offer process, or submit your Match rank list in the order you truly prefer.
- Finish your board exam and graduation requirements.
6 What makes an application competitive
General guidance, not program rules or statistics. Each program weighs things differently.
- Grades and class standing: strong, steady grades from the first semester help most in the most selective fields. If your school grades pass/fail, programs lean more on the dean's evaluation, faculty letters and interviews.
- Letters: ask faculty who have watched you work in the clinic or the lab, and ask early. A letter from someone in the field you are applying to carries weight.
- Interviews: programs meet you before they rank or offer. Practice answering out loud why this field, why this program, and how you handle a hard case or a mistake.
- Clinical skills and fit: programs look for solid clinical work and a clear reason for wanting another year of training, such as implants, complex restorative care or serving a particular community.
7 How to prepare
Keep a log of the procedures you have done in dental school; it helps you explain what you want from the extra year.
- Residency Application Prep course: ADEA PASS, letters, the personal statement, interviews and the Match.
- INBDE Board Prep course: Prepare for the INBDE, the licensure exam many programs list among their tests.
- What's on the ADAT (free outline): Sections, timing and topics from the ADA's candidate guide.
- Full-length ADAT simulations: Timed practice tests (Boards Pro).
- Clinical trainers: Free tooth ID, radiograph, local anesthesia and treatment-planning drills.
- Which residencies require the ADAT: Each program's requirement in its own words.
- Dental Mock Interviews ↗: Practice residency interviews out loud.
8 FAQ
How long is an AEGD?
Usually one year. CODA also accredits one-year programs with an optional second year, and required two-year programs.
What is the difference between an AEGD and a GPR?
Both are advanced general dentistry programs. CODA requires a GPR to be sponsored by or affiliated with a hospital; an AEGD can also be run by a school or another accredited health care organization.
Can I apply while I am still in dental school?
Yes. The ADA lists third- and fourth-year dental students interested in postgraduate training among the people who should take the ADAT, and ADEA PASS opens in May, so dental students can apply in the summer before their final year. Some programs also take practicing dentists.
Sources
Checked 2026-10-22. Program counts and ADAT lists come from our own data, linked above.
- CODA: Accreditation Standards for Advanced Education in General Dentistry
- CODA: Accreditation Standards for General Practice Residency
- ADEA PASS: Applying (cycle dates, fees, evaluations)
- ADEA PASS Program Finder
- ADA: Manage your DENTPIN (ADEA PASS and the Dental Match)
- ADEA PASS listing: Case Western Reserve University, AEGD
- ADEA PASS listing: Asian Health Services, AEGD
- ADA: Advanced Dental Admission Test (ADAT)
Other residency guides
Orthodontics · Oral Surgery · Endodontics · Periodontics · Pediatric Dentistry · Prosthodontics · Oral Pathology · Oral Radiology · Dental Public Health · Dental Anesthesiology · Oral Medicine · Orofacial Pain · GPR