Mission and Activities

The American Board of Periodontology administers the certification of periodontists.

Mission
Board Composition

What Is a Diplomate?
Completing Certification Exams

The American Board of Periodontology was organized by the American Academy of Periodontology in 1939 to elevate the standards and advance the science and art of periodontology by encouraging its study and advancing its practice.

Service to the Public and Profession

The Board serves the public and the profession by:

Creating and administering a certification process to identify experts in the field of periodontics.
Creating and administering a re-certification process to maintain expertise.
Promoting interest among Periodontists in Board Certification.
Granting and issuing Diplomate certificates to qualified experts.
Maintaining a registry of holders of Diplomate certificates.
Furnishing, on request, lists of Diplomates'.

The American Board of Periodontology is one of nine specialty boards recognized by the American Dental Association. The activities of the American Board of Periodontology conform to the "Requirements for Recognition of Dental Specialties and National Certifying Boards for Dental Specialists" of the American Dental Association Council on Dental Education applicable to specialty boards in dentistry.

Composition of the Board

The board consists of elected Directors who are active or life members of the American Academy of Periodontology and Diplomates of the ABP. They serve for staggered six-year terms and hold office for no more than one term. Directors are elected by mail ballot sent to all voting members of the Academy from a slate of candidates chosen by the Academy's Nominating Committee for the American Board of Periodontology or nominated by petition in accordance with the Academy's Bylaws. The election procedures are governed by the provisions set forth in Chapter II, Section 7 of the Academy's Bylaws. Each Director holds office until a successor is elected and installed, or until such Director's earlier death, resignation or removal.

Board Examiners

Former Directors of the Board may be appointed by the Board of Directors to assist the Directors with the Written, Oral, and Recertification Examinations. All active Diplomates, who have been Board Certified for at least five years, in good standing currently engaged in clinical practice or in periodontology-related education or research activities are eligible for appointment as Examiners, except those serving on the American Academy of Periodontology’s Board of Trustees. Appointment of Examiners will be made annually by the Board for one year terms. The Board may make exceptions to the “five-year” requirement if deemed appropriate.

What is a Diplomate?

A Diplomate is a periodontist who has made significant achievements beyond the mandatory educational requirements of the specialty and who is certified by the American Board of Periodontology.

To be educationally qualified for Board certification requires:

Certification as a dentist, including basic college education and completion of dental school to earn the D.D.S. or D.M.D. degree and;
Certification as a periodontist after postdoctoral study in an ADA approved program. This period of study is concentrated on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of periodontal disease.

In addition to the educational requirements, Board certification requires:

Comprehensive written and oral examinations covering all phases of periodontal disease and its treatment, including dental implants.
Presentation of detailed reports on a broad range of actual treatment personally provided by the periodontist.
Recertification every three years.

Requirements for Completing Certification Examinations

Candidates who complete the Written Examination in the years 2006, 2007, and 2008 will be considered Board Eligible for the next two full-year cycles of the Oral Examination. During this time the entire examination process must be completed unless an eligibility extension is granted or the candidate fails the Oral Examination in the last year of eligibility.

Requests for eligibility extensions may be made in writing to the Board office in the last year of the candidate's eligibility period. Requests must be received by May 1 of that year for consideration by the Board.
The Executive Director will approve extensions for qualified candidates without Board action. Questionable requests will be considered by the Board.
A maximum of one request will be considered by the Board.

At any time candidates may restart the two-year Board eligibility period by retaking and passing the Written Examination.

For candidates passing the Written Examination in 2009 or later, the term "Board Eligible" will be discontinued. Candidates who pass the Written Examination must complete the Certification Examination process within two (2) years from the year the Written Examination was successfully completed unless an extension is granted.

Request for a one-year extension to complete the Certification Examination may be made in writing to the Board office and must be received by May 1 of the second year after successful completion of the Written Examination. The Executive Director will approve extensions for qualified candidates without Board action. Questionable requests will be considered by the Board.
Requests will be granted only when in the Board's judgment the candidate was prevented from taking the Oral Examination by extenuating circumstances.
A maximum of one request will be considered by the Board.

Beginning in 2009, candidates who fail the oral examination in the last year of eligibility, (2 years without extension; 3 years if an extension is granted), will be required to restart the Certification Examination process by retaking and successfully completing the Written Examination.

The ABP booklet Guidelines for Certification contains the latest information about the examination process. An application for the Written Examination and case report records for the Oral Examination are included with the publication. Please contact the Board office if you would like a copy of the ABP Guidelines For Certification.