Academy of General Dentistry

What Academy of General Dentistry does

The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) is a nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1952 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It is the only professional association that exclusively represents general dentists in the United States, serving more than 40,000 members across every career stage — from dental students and residents through practicing associates, practice owners, Fellows (FAGD) and Masters (MAGD). The organization's core product is the credentialed continuing-education infrastructure built around the proprietary PACE (Program Approval for Continuing Education) program, which approves third-party CE providers and issues transcripts recognized in 31 states (and conditionally in 8 more) for license renewal, plus the award framework that culminates in FAGD and MAGD credentials.

AGD's technology stack is a cloud-based member platform: an online learning management system for self-paced CE and webinars, automated CE-transcript tracking tied to award eligibility, the AGD Connect online community for mentorship and peer networking, and a member portal housing publications, practice tools, advocacy resources, and the AGD Store. Content products include the bimonthly peer-reviewed General Dentistry journal, the AGD Impact newsmagazine (35,000+ circulation), the AGD Podcast series, The Daily Grind blog, the This Week at AGD weekly newsletter, and the Capitol Connections advocacy bulletin.

Revenue mechanics are diversified across subscription (tiered membership dues: Student/Resident $22, Active $496-$695, graduated Recent-Graduate pricing from $99 to $397, plus Premium Plus upgrades), advertising (AGD Impact and agd.org media kits), CE course and webinar fees ($37.50-$125 with member discounts), Fellowship Review and MasterTrack program revenue, the AGD Store, the AGD Business Credit Card, and corporate sponsorships (DHPI/AGDVANTAGE supply discounts, SoFi student-loan refinancing, Crest+OralB, CareCredit, Glidewell, BlueSkyBio, Dentist's Advantage). GTM combines direct sales (online + 888.AGD.DENT call center), community-led peer referrals (Refer-a-Colleague and Refer-a-Classmate), student chapters at dental schools, and event-driven acquisition at the annual AGD Scientific Session.

Name

Academy of General Dentistry

Legal name

Academy of General Dentistry

Website

http://www.agd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Academy of General Dentistry is a nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1952 and the only U.S. association exclusively serving general dentists, with more than 40,000 members supported through continuing-education accreditation (PACE), FAGD/MAGD credentials, peer-reviewed publications, advocacy, and practice-management benefits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Dental Association Services

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare & Clinical Professional Development (CME/CE) (EDAGANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Comprehensive Family Dentistry (Multi-Disciplinary In-Office General Care) (HLABAAAE)

Keywords

• Dental continuing education
• Professional membership association
• Dental credentialing awards
• Dentist advocacy services
• Dental practice resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Primary revenue stream from annual membership dues that vary by membership category (Active General Dentist, Associate, Affiliate, Resident, Student, Recent Graduate). Dues include headquarters, constituent and component portions.
2. Publication Advertising: Revenue from advertising in AGD Impact magazine (35,000+ circulation) and General Dentistry peer-reviewed journal, plus digital advertising on agd.org
3. AGD Store Products: Sales of study guides for Fellowship exam preparation, membership certificates and frames, and other AGD-branded products
4. CE Course Fees: Registration fees for live courses, webinars, and Fellowship Review courses. Fee structure: Free to $125 depending on membership status and course type

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) is a nonprofit professional membership association exclusively serving general dentists. It sells tiered annual memberships (Premium and Premium Plus) and delivers continuing education, peer-reviewed publications, practice management resources, advocacy representation, and prestigious professional recognition awards (Fellowship/FAGD, Mastership/MAGD, Lifelong Learning and Service Recognition). It also runs the PACE program for accrediting CE providers and operates the AGD Foundation for oral cancer awareness.

Product overview

The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) is a membership-based professional association serving general dentists. AGD offers a comprehensive suite of products and services organized as a multi-tiered membership model (Premium and Premium Plus) with the following key offerings: (1) Publications including AGD Impact newsmagazine, the peer-reviewed General Dentistry journal, AGD Podcast, The Daily Grind blog, This Week at AGD newsletter, and Capitol Connections; (2) Education and credentials including Live Courses, Online Learning Center, Self-Instruction, PACE accreditation, Fellowship Review Course, MasterTrack Programs, and awards for Fellowship, Mastership, and Lifelong Learning & Service Recognition; (3) Events including the annual AGD Scientific Session; (4) Practice management tools and exclusive member benefits; (5) Student chapter awards program; and (6) The AGD Foundation for oral cancer awareness. AGD's most recent product launch is a partnership with Oryx Dental to provide AI-powered dental practice management software to members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AGD Membership (Premium and Premium Plus) Tiered annual membership for general dentists, students, residents, recent graduates, and international dentists. Provides access to CE tracking, publications, advocacy, practice tools, member discounts, and award programs.
• AGD Scientific Session (AGD2026) AGD's premier annual meeting for general dentistry featuring hands-on training, expert speakers, and career development opportunities; the 2026 event is scheduled for June 24-27 in Las Vegas.
• AGD Live CE Courses In-person and live webinar continuing education courses available throughout the year for dental professionals, including webinars priced from $37.50 (students) to $125 (non-members).
• AGD Online Learning Center Self-paced on-demand continuing education courses available through AGD's online platform, with automated CE credit tracking for members.
• AGD Self-Instruction CE Self-paced continuing education instruction delivered through AGD's peer-reviewed publications General Dentistry and AGD Impact magazine.
• PACE Program Approval for Continuing Education AGD's CE accreditation program that approves continuing education providers, enabling members to earn credits toward Fellowship (FAGD), Mastership (MAGD), and Lifelong Learning and Service Recognition awards.
• MasterTrack Programs Structured Mastership track programs delivered through state AGD constituent chapters across 30+ US states and Canada, providing a course of study toward MAGD recognition.
• Fellowship Review Course and Exam Comprehensive review course and examination preparation materials for dentists pursuing AGD Fellowship (FAGD) recognition, supported by AGD study guides priced $96-$299.
• AGD Store (Study Guides and Branded Products) Online storefront selling Fellowship exam study guides (including the 2026 Online Study Guide at $96), membership certificates and frames, and AGD-branded merchandise.
• AGD Impact Magazine Monthly newsmagazine with circulation exceeding 35,000 readers, covering practice management, product reviews, scientific advances, and AGD news; available to members and via advertising/subscription.
• General Dentistry Journal Peer-reviewed clinical journal of the Academy of General Dentistry, published bimonthly, covering pharmacology, dental materials, procedures, technology, and the science of general dentistry.
• AGD Business Credit Card Business credit card built for AGD practice-owning members, offering rewards on Dental Health Products spend, AGD purchases, and other business expenses.

Quantifiable outcome

• AGD Fellowship and Mastership recognized across all 50 states for licensure purposes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Oryx DentalcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 June 2026Partnership announced June 9, 2026 to provide AI-powered dental practice management software to AGD members at preferred rates. Oryx Dental is a clinically rooted, cloud-based, AI-powered platform built by dentists for dentistry with patient-first mindset and deep clinical intelligence. Grants members access to clinical and business management tools.
• CareQuest Institute for Oral HealthminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 April 2026Platinum sponsor of ADHA Integrated Care Summit 2026 (May 15-17 in Colorado). AGD listed as collaborating organization for this interprofessional symposium connecting dental, medical, and behavioral health professionals.
• Henry ScheinminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 April 2026Platinum sponsor of ADHA Integrated Care Summit 2026. Supporting interprofessional collaboration event for dental, medical, and behavioral health professionals.
• American Association of Endodontists (AAE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Collaboration to produce a joint issue of the journal General Dentistry published November/December 2025. Features articles on evidence-based endodontic practices and clinical advancements, emphasizing interdisciplinary understanding and collaboration between general dentists and endodontists.
• Dental Health Products, Inc. (DHPI)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 August 2019Partnership to create AGDVANTAGE, a discount dental supply program provided exclusively to AGD members. Offers up to 30% discount on dental supplies for practice owners.
• SoFiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSoFi student loan refinancing program offered as AGD member benefit. Provides 0.25% rate discount for refinancing student loans. Also offers personal loans with 0.50% rate discount for new personal loan customers. SoFi Checking and Savings and other financial products available.
• BlueSkyBiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of AGD providing advertising and sponsorship support. Logo displayed on AGD website alongside other corporate sponsors.
• CareCreditminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor and exclusive patient financing benefit partner. Provider of patient financing solutions for dental practices.
• Crest+OralBminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor providing oral health product sponsorship. Promotes oral health through professional dental care products.
• Dentist's AdvantageminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional liability insurance provider exclusive to AGD members. Also offers complimentary professional liability insurance for new graduates.
• GlidewellminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor and dental products supplier. Provides dental laboratory products and services to AGD member practices.
• FiregangminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor providing marketing/book offer services to AGD members. Logo displayed on AGD.org.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR): Global research organization in dental science. Comparable as a membership association with scientific publications and conferences, though focused on research rather than practicing general dentists.
• American College of Dentists (ACD): Honorary dental organization recognizing leadership and ethics in dentistry. Comparable to AGD's FAGD/MAGD recognition programs as a credentialing body within the dental profession.
• American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD): Specialty association for pediatric dentists offering CE, advocacy, and member benefits in a comparable professional-association model. Relevant peer given AGD's HLABAKAD-adjacent pediatric dentistry focus.
• American Association of Endodontists (AAE): Specialty dental association that recently partnered with AGD on a joint journal issue. Comparable as a dental membership organization offering CE, publications, and advocacy — but focused on endodontists.
• American Association of Orthodontists (AAO): Specialty dental association providing CE, advocacy, and publications to orthodontists. Comparable professional-association structure serving a defined dental constituency.
• National Dental Association (NDA): U.S. dental association promoting oral health equity and serving dentists of color. Operates as a parallel professional-association model with similar CE, advocacy, and member-benefit offerings.

Direct peers

• American Student Dental Association (ASDA): National student-run organization for dental students, operating at the same dental schools as AGD student chapters with overlapping recruitment and career-development mission.
• American Dental Association (ADA): The largest U.S. professional association for dentists, serving all dental specialties with overlapping CE, advocacy, publications, and member benefits. ADA is AGD's primary competitive overlap despite ADA's broader scope.

Regional players

• Canadian Dental Association (CDA): Canada's national dental association serving a parallel role to ADA. AGD explicitly extends membership to Canadian dentists; comparable organization structure and offerings, primarily serving a different geography.

Emerging players

• Dentistry.com / Dental CE providers (e.g., Dentalcare.com): Commercial dental CE platforms offering on-demand continuing education courses. Direct overlap with AGD's online learning center and PACE-approved CE delivery, but operating as commercial entities rather than a member association.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/agdadvocacy
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/generaldentistry
• Facebookfacebook.com/generaldentists
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/academy-of-general-dentistry
• Instagraminstagram.com/academyofgeneraldentistry

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Academy of General Dentistry