AGD PACE CE Credits: What Dentists Should Know Before They Book

I have been to a lot of CE in my career. I have earned credits at courses I never implemented.

So I want to be clear about what CE credits are and what they are not. They matter for your license and your professional record. They are not, on their own, a reason to choose a course.

What AGD PACE is

PACE is the Academy of General Dentistry's Program Approval for Continuing Education.

Providers apply for PACE approval and are reviewed against a set of standards: how courses are planned, how they are delivered, how they are documented and how they are evaluated. Approval is granted for a set term and has to be renewed.

PACE credits are widely accepted by state dental boards and count toward AGD Fellowship and Mastership. Always check your own state board's rules for your license.

What it means at Stribe

Stribe is an AGD PACE approved provider. Our provider ID is 400786.

For Art of Ceramic, that means:

• 16 CE credits for the two-day course.
• A course attendance certificate after the course.
• AGD reporting. If you are an AGD member and give us your AGD number, we submit your attendance to the AGD.
• An evaluation. Every attendee is asked to evaluate the course: objectives, content, instructors and facilities. PACE requires it, and it is also how the course gets better.

What credits do not tell you

PACE approval tells you a course is organized, documented and accountable. It does not judge whether the clinical teaching is good for you.

Two courses can carry the same credits and leave you in completely different places. One gives you sixteen hours of slides. The other gives you sixteen hours where you watch a step, then do it at your own bench.

So when you compare cosmetic dentistry CE, read past the number:

1. How many hours are hands-on, at your own bench?
2. Does the agenda cover the whole chain, consultation to cementation?
3. Are the instructors treating patients and showing their own cases?
4. Is it sponsored, and by whom?
5. What do you take home so you can repeat it?

Why I built the course this way

When Rhodri and I put Art of Ceramic together, the goal was simple. I want dentists to go back on Tuesday and implement what we teach.

That shaped everything. Every attendee gets a printed manual with the timings, the burs and the material needs, so the answer to "what did Dr. Andi say" is in the book. We do not accept sponsorship, because I want to tell you exactly what I use and why, without anything clouding the data.

The credits recognize the time you spent. The format decides whether you use it.

Keep your records

A few practical habits:

1. Keep every certificate in one place, digital and printed.
2. Give the provider your AGD number at registration if you are a member, so attendance can be reported.
3. Track your renewal cycle against your state's requirements.
4. Note the format of each course, lecture or participation, if your board distinguishes them.

Lecture hours and participation hours

Many state boards and the AGD distinguish between lecture credit and participation credit. Participation means you did the procedure yourself, on a model or a patient, as part of the course.

That distinction is worth paying attention to, not only for your records. It is a good shorthand for what the course actually asks of you. If a course is sixteen hours of lecture, you will be watching. If it includes real participation, you will be doing.

Ask the provider how the hours are classified before you book, and keep that on your certificate record.

The "next course" problem

I have sat in courses where an important question was answered with "take the next course and we will tell you."

That is not education. It is a funnel.

A good course gives you every bit of information it covers. In ours, the manual holds the timings, the burs and the material needs. After the course, attendees get my photography lecture to keep. Nothing important is held back for the next purchase.

Questions to ask the provider

1. Are you AGD PACE approved, and what is your provider ID?
2. How many credits, and how are they classified?
3. Will you report my attendance to the AGD?
4. When will I receive my certificate?
5. Is there a course evaluation, and what happens with the feedback?

A provider who answers these quickly and clearly usually runs the rest of the course the same way.

The takeaway

Choose the course for what it teaches. Make sure the credits are from a recognized provider. Then keep the paperwork tidy.

Related reading: what a hands-on porcelain course should cover and the best cosmetic dentistry courses in the US.

Questions, answered.

What does AGD PACE approved mean?

It means the provider has been reviewed by the Academy of General Dentistry's Program Approval for Continuing Education against standards for planning, delivering, documenting and evaluating courses.

Is Stribe AGD PACE approved?

Yes. Stribe is an AGD PACE approved provider, ID 400786. Art of Ceramic is worth 16 CE credits.

Will my CE credits be reported to the AGD?

If you are an AGD member and provide your AGD number, Stribe submits your Art of Ceramic attendance to the AGD after the course.

Do PACE credits count for my state license?

PACE credits are widely accepted, but each state board sets its own rules. Check your state's requirements for your renewal cycle.