Become a Diplomate
Becoming an Academy of Clinical Sleep Disorders Disciplines Diplomate is indeed a profound honor to attain. Individuals who become Diplomates have earned this distinction through a rigorous educational, experiential, and testing process. Experts in the field of dental sleep medicine have developed the ACSDD certification curriculum and requirements and have overseen the demanding Diplomate process.
ACSDD Diplomates learn what they need to know to be educated experts in the field of dental sleep medicine and know how to use that knowledge and expertise to treat their patients’ dental sleep disorders successfully and compassionately.
This proficiency can translate into new procedures in dental sleep medicine in the dental practice of the Diplomate, increasing the patient base and revenue. Achieving Diplomate status in the ACSDD can also encourage third-party insurers to allow payment for the dental sleep disorders services rendered.
The importance of achieving Diplomate status is further enhanced by the newly-signed Health Care Bill. There will now be a sharpened focus on prevention versus after-the-fact treatment. Sleep Disordered Breathing treatment falls squarely into these parameters. Treatment at its earliest onset can remove hundreds of million of dollars of later expenses for illnesses and conditions such as cardiac problems, high blood pressure, depression, and sexual dysfunction.
Diplomate status in the ACSDD provides the member who has earned it significant capability to improve the treatment of his or her patients and enhance the quality of their lives.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible to sit for the Diplomate Certification Exam, a dentist first must:
- Be a current Member in good standing of the ACSDD;
- Have been in post-graduate clinical practice for a minimum of five (5) years;
- Hold valid dental licensure and certify as to liability coverage;
- Have completed a minimum of forty-five (45) hours of continuing professional education programs in clinical sleep disorders dentistry over the previous two years, with fifteen (15) hours in that total dedicated solely to Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMD);
- Have completed a minimum of five (5) hours of observation in an AASM-accredited sleep laboratory over the previous year;
- Have completed a minimum of five (5) hours of observation in the office of a sleep physician over the previous year;
- Provide one (1) letter of recommendation from a licensed physician with whom the dentist has worked with on the management of one or more patients with sleep disorders;
- Present twenty (20) eligible clinical case studies, five (5) of which are extensively narrated and which include a post-treatment PSG;
- Have submitted a Certification Portfolio which includes the documents as listed above and other requirements and which has been accepted by the ACSDD Portfolio Review Committee;
- Have completed the ACSDD On-Demand Diplomate process.
- Complete the Reading List: The reading list is a downloadable zip file that unzips into a folder containing the required reading as PDFs.
- Listen to and Review the On-Demand Lecture Modules: The streamable on-demand lecture modules are designed to provide the core dental & medical knowledge required to be proficient in the treatment of OSA and to help the examinee understand his/her strengths and weaknesses in those content areas in order to focus on those areas during study time.
- Complete the Review Module: The streamable on-demand review module is designed to refresh the examinee on key content areas to be tested.
- Part I is a 200-question multiple-choice examination covering the ACSDD approved dental and medical curriculum.
- Part II consists of a hypothetical case study presented to a qualified case reviewer by the examinee individually.
The ACSDD can assist the applicant with any questions he or she has as the applicant gathers the required documents, information, and experiences for the portfolio.
The above requirements are not exhaustive but rather serve as a general guideline for interested individuals to review. If you have questions about Diplomate status, the Certification Portfolio, the training process, the exam, or fees, please contact Andrew, the ACSDD Director of Operations, at andrew@acsdd.org.
The Diplomate Certification Portfolio with instructions and the necessary PDFs is available as a downloadable document:
Diplomate Certification Process & Exam
The process the member-applicant follows is now fully on-demand. The fee for review of the required Certification Portfolio, the on-demand content, all study materials, and the examination is $3000.00.
It is highly recommended that your Certification Portfolio (see above) is completed as you register. Once registered, the member-applicant is provided all necessary training materials. The training and review must be completed within three months of the member-applicant’s registration date. At that time, the member-applicant will receive the information as to when, where, and how he or she will complete the exam.
The On-Demand Training follows:
The Exam Information follows:
- Complete thirty (30) Continuing Education Credits in sleep-related topics every two (2) years;
If you have questions, please contact Andrew, the ACSDD Director of Operations, at andrew@acsdd.org.
Diplomate Benefits
As an Academy of Clinical Sleep Disorders Disciplines Diplomate, the individual will be recognized as having attained certification from the Academy: the highest honor the Academy awards its members. This distinction is earned by completing an extremely rigorous knowledge acquisition process and by demonstrating advanced skill in applying that knowledge.
In addition to recognition inside the Academy, the Diplomate can be acknowledged outside the Academy in his or her dental practice through the addition of new procedures in dental sleep medicine in the dental practice, increasing the patient base and revenue. Achieving Diplomate status in the ACSDD can also encourage third-party insurers to allow payment for the dental sleep disorders services rendered.
Diplomates are given reduced rates for attendance at Academy conferences, and, at each Academy conference they attend, Diplomates will be invited to a separate session to recognize them and provide them with an opportunity to dialogue with conference speakers.
Diplomate Responsibilities
Diplomates must maintain their Academy membership yearly and provide the Academy with any change of office address. Additionally, it is critical to keep their email address current with the Academy because most of our communication to Diplomates is via email. Diplomate status is renewable five (5) years from original date of achieving such status. In order to retain Diplomate status in the Academy, Diplomates must:
- Attend a minimum of one Academy conference every two (2) years (at a reduced rate);
- Every two years, submit proof to the ACSDD office of 30 completed CEs and of attendance at one conference.
A record-keeping form for use by the Diplomate is available as a downloadable document:
The Diplomate will receive his or her updated certificate once all requirements have been completed.
If the Diplomate has any questions, he or she is asked to contact Dr. Michael Krahe, the Executive Director, via phone at 814-881-7020 or by email at mjkrahephd@acsdd.org.
Disclaimer
Disclaimer and Indemnification: The ACSDD provides medical/clinical/dental science education for dentists treating sleep disorders through the use of oral appliances. The ACSDD provides neither consultancy nor advice on particular patients and/or individual patient care decisions. The ACSDD is not responsible or liable for individual patients’ course of treatment, advice, diagnosis, drug and device application or other information, services or products. There is no substitute for a one-on-one evaluation by a competent healthcare professional, and specific information regarding any particular circumstance cannot be provided without such evaluation. The ACSDD advises and recommends that certified dentists consult with qualified licensed physicians in guiding treatment of individual patients. The ACSDD does not recommend or endorse dentists or physicians. Certification by The ACSDD evidences successful completion of The ACSDD coursework; but does not signify or imply any relationship whatsoever between the certified individual and The ACSDD. Required CEs for the completion of that part of the Diplomate Certification Portfolio are based only on the academic content of such coursework. Any courses that deal with topics outside an academic nature are not recognized or accepted by the ACSDD. Certification shall have no presumed relevance with regard to third-party payers, legal proceedings, or other similar matters.
