FAAID Training

What "FAAID Training" Actually Means for the Fellow Exam

Fellow of the AAID (FAAID) is the designation conferred by the American Academy of Implant Dentistry on licensed dental practitioners who demonstrate surgical and prosthetic competence in implant dentistry. Unlike a typical multiple-choice credential, there is no single course you sit through and then test out of. "Training" for the Fellow credential is really two things layered together: the clinical training and documented experience that make you eligible, and the preparation you do to present and defend your cases before AAID examiners.

If you are new to the credential itself, start with What Is FAAID? for the basics, then return here for the preparation roadmap. This article focuses on how to train, in the practical sense, for the Fellow virtual oral/case examination.

The Training You Must Already Have

Before any exam preparation begins, AAID expects a documented training foundation. The Fellow requirements call for the following:

• Licensure: you must be a licensed dental practitioner.
• Membership pathway: you must either be an AAID Associate Fellow in good standing, or have passed Associate Fellow Part 1 and meet the Fellow eligibility criteria.
• Experience: at least five years of implant-dentistry experience.
• Continuing education: 400 hours of implant CE, including 75 participatory or hands-on hours.
• Demonstrated competence: surgical and prosthetic competence, with you having provided surgical and/or prosthetic treatment for each submitted case.

There is one notable alternative on the education side: completing a qualifying full-time implant dentistry, periodontal, oral and maxillofacial surgery or prosthodontics program of at least one year satisfies the educational requirement. If you came through a residency or similar program, document it carefully and confirm how it maps onto the requirement. Our FAAID Requirements guide walks through eligibility in more detail.

What You Are Training For: The Virtual Case Examination

The Fellow examination is a virtual oral/case examination conducted by AAID examiner teams. Its structure is distinctive and should shape how you prepare:

Two skills are being assessed in parallel. The standardized cases test how you reason through clinical scenarios you did not choose. The defense of your five submitted cases tests whether your own treatment decisions, execution and documentation hold up under questioning. Training must address both. For a candid look at how demanding this combination is, see How Hard Is the FAAID Exam?

Building Your Five Submitted Cases

For most candidates, the longest lead-time item is case selection and documentation. All five submitted cases must be on different patients, and each must meet shared minimums: final prostheses in function for at least one year by the examination period, implants at least 3 mm in diameter, a written narrative, diagnostic photographs and radiographs, and patient releases.

The five required case types are:

1. A removable full-arch implant overdenture
2. Posterior maxilla with sinus augmentation
3. Anterior maxilla
4. Extraction with immediate placement, or ridge preservation with delayed placement
5. A fixed complete implant prosthesis

Note that AAID's older FAQ page still describes a different submitted-case and rating scheme. The current five-case requirements on the Fellow requirements page and in the credentialing guide take precedence, so do not plan from the legacy FAQ.

Training Through the Four Case-Report Domains

The credentialing guide, Demystifying the AAID Credentialing Examinations, lays out the Fellow Examination Case Report Outline on pages 18-19. Its principal headings give you four preparation domains. Treat them as the skeleton of every case report and, just as importantly, as the skeleton of how you will talk about each case aloud. For a deeper treatment of each area, see our FAAID Exam Domains guide.

These four lines are required case-report preparation headings, not an exhaustive blueprint of everything an examiner might ask. Expect oral questioning to range beyond what your written report states, which is why the next section matters.

Training for the Oral Discussion and Defense

A strong written report does not automatically produce a strong oral performance. Candidates should rehearse in the format they will face.

Defending your own cases

• Practice presenting each case in a few minutes, then field interruptions. Examiners probe decisions, so rehearse answering "why not the alternative?"
• Prepare an honest account of each case's weakest point. Complications and imperfect outcomes are not disqualifying on their own; evasive explanations are a bigger risk than candid ones.
• Know every number in your own file: implant dimensions, graft materials, timelines, follow-up intervals.

Discussing standardized cases

• Use the same structure you apply to your own cases: examination findings, diagnosis, plan, then surgical and prosthetic considerations.
• Practice thinking aloud. A reasoned, structured answer that acknowledges uncertainty tends to serve you better than a rushed one.
• Cover all five case-type areas in your own practice reasoning, since you cannot assume which scenarios you will receive.

Equipment and Delivery Rehearsal

Because the exam is virtual, a technical failure is a preventable way to lose composure. The guide calls for an Internet-capable computer with a webcam, a cellular device and a prior equipment check, and it budgets up to four hours total to account for that testing. Treat the equipment check as part of your training, not an administrative formality.

• Test your connection, camera framing and audio well before exam day, and again after any system update.
• Have your case images and notes organized so you can reach any item quickly during questioning.
• Plan for a quiet, uninterrupted space for the full duration.
• If English is not your first language, decide early whether to request an AAID-supplied interpreter, remembering it is at the candidate's expense.

A Sequenced Preparation Plan

General study technique matters less here than sequencing around your cases and the application calendar. This timeline ties each phase to a specific domain or deliverable. For broader exam-prep framing, our FAAID Study Guide complements it.

Adjust the pacing to your own case readiness; the real constraint is how many of your five cases are already documented and mature enough to submit. A quick fact reference is in the FAAID Cheat Sheet.

Fees, Windows and What Follows a Pass

Fees: confirm before you pay

AAID's published fee schedules currently disagree, so verify the figure that applies to your route before submitting payment.

The guide identifies substitution as an alternative fee, not an additional charge. For a fuller breakdown, see FAAID Certification Cost.

Dates

As of October 7, 2026, the next application window opens in November 2026 and closes February 1, 2027, with the virtual Fellow oral/case exam scheduled for April 3, 2027. Always confirm against AAID's exam schedule, and see FAAID Exam Dates for scheduling context.

After the exam

Election is not immediate. It follows approval by the Admissions and Credentials Board and a vote by the Board of Trustees. Successful oral candidates must attend an Annual Business Meeting for induction within two years. Maintaining the designation requires active AAID membership; regular Fellow dues are USD 695 annually, payable January 1. Whether those ongoing costs are justified is explored in Is the FAAID Certification Worth It?

If you want structured practice as part of your preparation, our practice test site offers question-based review to complement your case work, and you can return to the main FAAID Exam Prep page for additional resources.

Frequently Asked Questions