What is the EDA?

The European dental Association (EDA) was founded in 1999 as an umbrella organization for groups and institutions offering advanced dental training. It provides the possibility for an integration at the European level of all the groups and institutions currently involved in advanced training and offers individual membership to dentists interested in acquiring specialization in one or more disciplines or to those who are already specialized.

Such specialization is based purely on knowledge and skills, i.e. it is result-oriented, and is not dependent upon individual institutions, a dental chamber, or a university. Consequently, each dentist can pick and choose those courses best suited to complement his/her knowledge. This subject orientation alone makes it possible for colleagues in private practice to pursue internationally oriented training activities independently and at a high level. It will allow the dentist to put together a program tailored individually to the needs and special situation of his/her office.

The EDA issues guidelines for specialization in individual disciplines based on an appropriate number of training hours in theory and practice as well as a final practical and theoretical examination.
This means: Every dentist, including those working full time in their own office, in command of the appropriate knowledge and capabilities who can present proof of a sufficient number of cases and training hours may register for the examination for EDA specialization without having to neglect his practice.

This EDA-certified advanced training is thus geared particularly to practice holders. The length of training per discipline is 250 hours and therefore expected to be two or two and a half years. Advanced training hours attended in the past with approved instructors will be credited.

All of this presupposes that you become a member of the EDA and receive advanced
training from EDA-recognized instructors. Such courses may be attended around the
world since for the EDA the quality of the lecturer and the teaching are the final
yardstick. Participants are issued certificates by their instructors on which the
number of hours and the subjects are noted. The annual fee for EDA membership is
100 Euros for single members, for study groups and institutions 1000 Euros.
The acquired specialization together with the EDA logo (name and logo are a
Europe-wide trademark) and the name European Dental Association may be
used on your office identification.
What services and advantages does the EDA offer?
1. Thanks to its European orientation, EDA-certified specialists will play an
outstanding role in comparison to specialists certified through national or countryspecific
schemes.
2. Within the EDA dentists will be able to pursue training as a certified specialist
without having to sacrifice excessive time from their practice.
3. Members themselves can choose courses and instructors that bear the EDA logo
and train locally or abroad, in an association, a chamber, a post-graduate training
provider, at congresses or within private offices.
4. Courses are recognized on an interdisciplinary basis. For example, certain
courses can be recognized for both prosthetics and implantology, for implantology
and periodontology, for periodontology and restorative dentistry. Other
combinations are also possible.
5. Courses attended in the past can be credited to the required number of hours on
presentation of a certificate of participation and confirmation of the length of
training, provided that the instructor and the subject are recognized by the EDA.
6. The award of a specialist title and the examination are result-oriented. This
means that the crucial factor is not a maximum number of advanced training
hours but the candidate’s actual ability. Anyone who can demonstrate that they
have already completed many hours of advanced training in a specialist area can
register for an examination immediately.
7. A defined number of case presentations, a certain number of practical courses,
and the appropriate final practical examination ensure and prove that the
successful candidate is, indeed, able to implement his/her specialty in
practice.
8. Specialty titles awarded by professional bodies can be recognized, provided that
the professional body and the individual dentist are both members of the EDA and
the examination conditions have been met.
9. Permanent retention of the title of EDA specialist requires a certain number of
advanced training hours even after the examination. Therefore patients of EDA
specialists can be confident that they are receiving high-quality treatment
based on the current state of knowledge.
10. The only investment required by an EDA specialist is in his/her advanced training.
There are no investments in franchising companies. The only charges are the
membership fee (100 Euros/year) and the one-time examination fee (750 Euros).

11. The protected EDA logo serves as a trademark. This means that every EDAcertified
dentist is entitled to use the „EDA specialist“ logo. The logo serves as a
seal of quality, which will rapidly gain recognition through the work of postgraduate
training organizations, working groups, and study clubs, including public
relations work through the media (statements, interviews, press releases, internet,
health insurance funds). Europe-wide trademark protection protects against
unauthorized use of the logo.