For more than four decades, implant dentistry has played a leading role in research and advanced clinical practice. This has led to a significant progress in clinical treatment alternatives. In the early days, implant dentistry was considered to be the treatment alternative for restoring the edentulous jaw. At that time, the primary indication for placing dental implants was the restoration of the edentulous, atrophied mandible with anchoring elements for removable overdenture types. Today, on the contrary, implant dentistry is the clinically and scientifically proven standard of care for rehabilitation of the stomatognathic system.

The conventional implant protocol was based on empirical data that were introduced more than 30 years ago with the beginning of a continuous learning process when rules were set up to avoid failures.

For the last decade, clinical experience with augmentation techniques offers new ways for enhanced implant placement and tissue preservation. The ongoing learning curve advanced extremely, patients’ and clinicians’ demands for predictable functional and esthetic results increased enormously.

At this stage of the learning curve, there is a high need for continuous exchange of expert knowledge and skills. The “Global Oral Implant Academy” has been founded to fulfil these requirements. For continuous advancement of global oral implantology, members shall be assisted to increase their knowledge and skills as well as to provide their clinical experience, to form a common learning curve from the basic to the most advanced level.

In order to identify the individual level of expert knowledge and educational activity, different membership levels have been established from beginners as general membership (one star) up to five stars membership which means a high level of clinical experience and educational capacities.

Mission

The mission of the Academy shall be the advancement of the art and science of implant surgery and implant prosthetics in all its various aspects as a means to improve the overall treatment success in implantology.

Purpose

To accomplish its mission, the Academy shall pursue the following purposes:

• To assist those who are seeking improvement in the practice of implant dentistry
• To provide education in implant dentistry
• To assist in enhancement of clinical documentation
• To encourage and launch research in implant dentistry
• To promote scientific publications of new findings with implants and materials
• To disseminate information to the profession, allied fields and to the public
• To promote a high standard of ethics in the field of implant dentistry
• To promote established implant dentistry techniques and procedures and their availability in order to provide better treatment planning and care
• To establish the Academy as organization for approval in implant dentistry, with the ultimate recognition of implant dentistry as a speciality/subspeciality within the profession of dentistry
• To support all dentists, dental technicians and assisting personnel to obtain comprehensive implant dentistry education and training

Membership Categories

The categories of membership shall be: General (One Star), Two Stars “Fellow-Implant Specialist”, Three Stars “Senior Expert”, Four Stars “Diplomate”, Five Stars “Ambassador”, Honorary Member and Life Member. A prerequisite for eligibility and continued membership in a voting category is an active, inactive or retired license to practice dentistry in any state or country. The eligibility to a certain class of membership shall be oriented at a point rating system for accreditation.

General Membership (One Star)

Any person demonstrating interest in the science of implant dentistry may be eligible to become a General Member (One Star).

Two Stars “Fellow-Implant Specialist” membership

Any licensed dental practitioner shall be eligible for election to the Academy as a Two Stars Member upon:

• Fulfilment of the minimum requirement of 100 points according to the point rating system, whereof a minimum part of 50 points shall be recruited by documented implants.
• The valuation in points will be the follow-up time in years multiplied with the number of implants either placed or restored
• Advanced surgical procedures (e.g. sinus lift, guided bone regeneration techniques, soft tissue management) will be valued with 5 additional points each
• Clinical case reports presented will be valued 10 points each
• Scientific poster presentations will be valued 15 points each
• Lectures presented on international main podium will be valued 25 points each
• Scientific articles will be valued 50 points each
• Completion and file of an application for Two Stars Membership
• Positive certificate of the Admission and Credentials Board after examination

Upon favourable certification by the Admission and Credentials Board, the Board of Directors, at the next regular meeting, shall consider the applicant for election, and may, in its discretion, elect the applicant to Two Stars Membership status. Such election shall be by a three-fourths vote of those in attendance.

Three Stars “Senior Expert” Membership

Any licensed dental practitioner shall be eligible for election to the Academy as a Three Stars Member upon:

• Fulfilment of the minimum requirement of 500 points according to the point rating system, whereof a minimum part of 200 points shall be recruited by documented implants.
• The valuation in points will be the follow-up time in years multiplied with the number of implants either placed or restored
• Advanced surgical procedures (e.g. sinus lift, guided bone regeneration techniques, soft tissue management) will be valued with 5 additional points each
• Clinical case reports presented will be valued 10 points each
• Scientific poster presentations will be valued 15 points each
• Lectures presented on international main podium will be valued 25 points each
• Scientific articles will be valued 50 points each
• Completion and file of an application for Three Stars Membership
• Positive certificate of the Admission and Credentials Board after examination

Upon favourable certification by the Admission and Credentials Board, the Board of Directors, at the next regular meeting, shall consider the applicant for election, and may, in its discretion, elect the applicant to Three Stars Membership status. Such election shall be by a three-fourths vote of those in attendance.

Four stars “Diplomate” Membership

Any licensed dental practitioner shall be eligible for election to the Academy as a Four Stars member upon:

• Fulfilment of the minimum requirement of 1000 points according to the point rating system, whereof a minimum part of 500 points shall be recruited by documented implants
• The valuation in points will be the follow-up time in years multiplied with the number of implants either placed or restored
• Advanced surgical procedures (e.g. sinus lift, guided bone regeneration techniques, soft tissue management) will be valued with 5 additional points each
• Clinical case reports presented will be valued 10 points each
• Scientific poster presentations will be valued 15 points each
• Lectures presented on international main podium will be valued 25 points each
• Scientific articles will be valued 50 points each
• Completion and file of an application for Four Stars Membership
• Positive certificate of the Admission and Credentials Board after examination

Upon favourable certification by the Admission and Credentials Board, the Board of Directors, at the next regular meeting, shall consider the applicant for election, and may, in its discretion, elect the applicant to Four Stars Membership status. Such election shall be by a three-fourths vote of those in attendance.

Five Stars “Ambassador” Membership

Any licensed dental practitioner shall be eligible for election to the Academy as a Five Stars member upon:

• Fulfilment of the minimum requirement of 2500 points according to the point rating system, whereof a minimum part of 1800 points shall be recruited by documented implants.
• The valuation in points will be the follow-up time in years multiplied with the number of implants either placed or restored
• Advanced surgical procedures (e.g. sinus lift, guided bone regeneration techniques, soft tissue management) will be valued with 5 additional points each
• Clinical case reports presented will be valued 10 points each
• Scientific poster presentations will be valued 15 points each
• Lectures presented on international main podium will be valued 25 points each
• Scientific articles will be valued 50 points each
• Completion and file of an application for Five Stars Membership
• Positive certificate of the Admission and Credentials Board after examination

Upon favourable certification by the Admission and Credentials Board, the Board of Directors, at the next regular meeting, shall consider the applicant for election, and may, in its discretion, elect the applicant to Five Stars Membership status. Such election shall be by a three-fourths vote of those in attendance.

Honorary Membership

Honorary Membership may be granted to persons who are engaged in dental, medical, scientific or allied field research, instruction, or education, and who have brought significant advances to the science of implant dentistry.

Life Membership

Any member in good standing for 20 (twenty) consecutive years and no longer earning income from active dental practice may apply for life membership.

Additional qualification criteria

Within the point rating system, additional points are granted to the following criteria:

Academic titles:15 points
Professor: 18 points
Master Technician: 10 points

Postgraduate studies:
3+ months with certificate: 2 points
6+ months with certificate: 4 points
1+ year with certificate: 6 points
2+ years with certificate: 8 points
4+ years with certificate: 10 points
5+ years with certificate: 12 points
scientific awards: 5 points each
published interviews: 3 points each

Language knowledge:

Besides the native language, knowledge in one or more of the international congress languages (English, Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German and French) is valued with 5 points.

Duration of Membership

Membership is automatically renewed by one calendar year, unless terminated in writing with 3 months’ notice.
The Board of Directors is entitled to notify termination of the membership in case the annual dues are overdue for more than one year, or in any other case of violation of the statutes.
All rights, privileges and interests of a member shall cease upon the termination of membership, and the member shall not be eligible for any refund of dues or fees.

Organization of the G·O·I·A Academy

Headquarters of G·O·I·A are located in Bremen, Germany:
Rosental 12 a, 28359 Bremen, Germany.

Composition of the Board of Directors:

Scientific Executive, Honorary Chairman, Chairman International Relations, Chairman Admissions and Credentials, Educational Executive, Clinical Advisors, Authorized Representatives for member countries.

Fees:

General Membership / Annual Fee:  € 250,--

Examination Fees:

Two Star Membership with Fellow-Certificate: € 500,--
Three Star Membership with Diplomate-Certificate: € 750,--
Four Star Membership with Implant Specialist-Certificate: € 1.000,--
Five Star Membership with Ambassador-Certificate: € 1.500,--

Status July 2005