What is Diplomate?

A Diplomate is a Periodontist who is certified by the American Board of Periodontology.

A Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology is a periodontist who has made significant achievement beyond the mandatory educational requirements of the specialty. To be educationally qualified for Board certification requires:

• Certification as a dentist, including basic college education and completion of four years of dental school to earn the DDS or DMD degree.
• Certification as a periodontist after at least two years of 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 oral and written examinations covering all phases of periodontal disease and its treatment, including dental implants.
• Presentation of detailed reports on a board range of actual treatment personally provided by the candidate.

Your periodontist has been examined by a panel of internationally respected peers and awarded Diplomate status, which is the highest recognition of achievement afforded by the specialty.

By successfully completing the examination process, your periodontist has demonstrated motivation for:

• Continued professional development
• Self evaluation
• Critical review of results of therapy
• Interest in providing the best, most up to date care

The American Board of Periodontology was founded in 1939 to evaluate the standards and advance the standards and advance the science and art of periodontology by encourage its study and advancing its practice. It is officially the oldest ADA recognized specialty board and is the only national certifying board and is the only national certifying board in the dental specialty of periodontics.

For over fifty years the Board has served the public and 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
• Granting and issuing Diplomate certificates to certified expertise
• Furnishing on request, to patients, insurance consultants and hospitals administrators, a list of Board Certified Diplomates.

Diplomate of American Board of Periodontology