Every year a large group of new dentists spends one more year in training before starting practice. The two main options are the Advanced Education in General Dentistry program (AEGD) and the General Practice Residency (GPR). Both are accredited general dentistry residencies, usually one year long, and both are often called a PGY-1 year. ADEA's survey of the Class of 2025 found that among seniors planning to continue their education right after graduation, 40 percent applied to GPR programs, 33 percent listed a GPR as their first choice, and AEGD programs were the second most common first choice at 25 percent.
Students tend to reduce the choice to "GPR is hospital, AEGD is school." That is roughly right, but it misses what matters for your decision: what kind of patients you will treat, how much of your year is spent on rotations and call versus restorative production, and what the program costs or pays. This guide uses the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) standards for both program types, current ADEA PASS and Dental Match information, and published program details to lay out the differences.
Key takeaways
- AEGD and GPR programs share the same core clinical competencies under CODA. Both can be one or two years long.
- GPRs must be sponsored by, or affiliated with, a hospital. Residents join the hospital house staff and complete anesthesia and medicine rotations, plus inpatient or same-day surgery care.
- AEGDs can be sponsored by dental schools, hospitals, or health care organizations such as community health centers, and they usually emphasize high-volume comprehensive and restorative care.
- Most programs pay a stipend and charge no tuition, but amounts vary widely and a few charge tuition as well. Check each program's listing in ADEA PASS.
- For positions starting in 2027, GPR and AEGD programs moved to Phase I of the Dental Match: the rank order list deadline is November 16, 2026 and results come out November 23, 2026. Not every program participates.
What an AEGD and a GPR have in common
The CODA standards for both programs list the same set of clinical areas in which residents must reach an advanced level of skill: operative dentistry, replacing missing teeth, periodontal therapy, endodontic therapy, oral surgery, emergency dental care, and pain and anxiety control. Both also require residents to be able to manage medical emergencies, implants, oral mucosal disease, temporomandibular disorders, and orofacial pain. Both can be structured as one year, one year with an optional second year, or a required two years.
In practice that means either program can make you a faster, more confident general dentist. The difference is the environment you develop in and how your time is divided.
How a GPR is different
The GPR standards build the hospital into the program. According to CODA:
- A GPR must be sponsored or co-sponsored by a U.S. hospital, or by an educational institution or health care organization affiliated with an accredited hospital.
- Dental residents must be appointed to the hospital's house staff with the same privileges and responsibilities as residents in other programs.
- Residents complete an anesthesia rotation covering preoperative evaluation, sedation and anesthesia techniques, venipuncture, airway management, and recognizing anesthetic emergencies. The standards say about 70 hours is generally considered appropriate.
- Residents complete a medicine rotation focused on taking medical histories and performing physical evaluations, again with about 70 hours generally considered appropriate.
- Residents must gain experience managing inpatients or same-day surgery patients, including operating room care.
Programs build on that base differently. One university hospital GPR, for example, describes 35 weeks in its hospital dental clinic plus rotations in oral surgery, anesthesia, emergency medicine, otolaryngology, and maxillofacial surgery, and requires residents to live within 30 minutes of the hospital because they take pager call all year. Call is not a CODA requirement, but many GPRs include it, and it is one of the biggest lifestyle differences between the two program types. Ask every program about call frequency and what a typical call night involves.
How an AEGD is different
AEGD programs can be sponsored by an educational institution, a hospital, or a health care organization. The standards require formal instruction in physical evaluation and medical assessment and ask residents to function as part of interdisciplinary teams, but they do not require the hospital rotations that define a GPR.
AEGDs come in several forms: residencies based in dental school clinics, programs at community health centers, and multi-site programs. They tend to feel more like an intensive, supervised general practice, with an emphasis on comprehensive treatment planning, complex restorative care, and implants, often with specialists available for consults. Patient volume varies a great deal by site, so ask each program how many patients a resident typically sees per day and how many implants, crowns, molar endos, and dentures a resident completes during the year.
AEGD vs. GPR side by side
| Factor | GPR | AEGD |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 1 or 2 years | 1 or 2 years |
| Sponsor | Hospital, or an institution or organization affiliated with an accredited hospital | Educational institution, hospital, or health care organization |
| Required hospital rotations | Anesthesia and medicine (about 70 hours each is typical), inpatient or same-day surgery care | Not required; medical assessment instruction required |
| Hospital house staff | Yes | Only if the program is hospital-based |
| Typical patient mix | More medically complex patients, hospital consults, patients with special health care needs | Comprehensive and restorative cases, often in clinic or community settings |
| Call | Common, varies by program | Less common, varies by program |
| Operating room exposure | Required | Varies |
| Application | Mostly ADEA PASS | Mostly ADEA PASS |
| Dental Match (2027 positions) | Phase I for participating programs | Phase I for participating programs |
| Pay | Usually a stipend, no tuition | Usually a stipend, no tuition; some exceptions |
Stipends, tuition, and benefits
Most PGY-1 programs pay residents a stipend and do not charge tuition, but the details are all over the map. Among the program pages we checked while writing this, published stipends ranged from about $35,000 to about $66,000, and at least one AEGD listed both a stipend and a modest tuition charge. Hospital programs often align stipends with their other residents' pay scales; school and community programs set their own. Benefits such as health insurance, malpractice coverage, and paid time off also vary.
The ADEA PASS program listings show whether each program offers a stipend and whether it charges tuition or fees. Use those listings, then confirm the current number with the program, since stipends change from year to year. Also ask how the local cost of living compares: a stipend that works in one city may not cover rent in another.
Your loans do not pause on their own. Interest on unsubsidized federal loans keeps accruing during residency. Decide before you start whether you will make payments on an income-based plan during the year or use a deferment or forbearance option, and understand what each choice costs. Our guide to dental student loan repayment in 2026 covers the options, and what dental school costs covers the new federal borrowing limits.
A simple way to think about the money
Hypothetical example. Suppose a residency pays a $50,000 stipend and an associate job you could take instead would pay $150,000 in its first year. On paper the residency year costs about $100,000 in earnings, plus another year of interest on your loans. The case for the residency is that you come out able to do more procedures, faster and with more confidence, which can raise your production (and pay) for years afterward, and in some states it can satisfy a licensure requirement. Whether that trade makes sense depends on how prepared you feel and what kind of practice you want. Our dentist pay guide covers what associates actually earn.
Licensure: when a residency is required
In most states, a PGY-1 year is optional. New York is the major exception: since January 1, 2007, every applicant for initial dental licensure in New York must complete an approved residency program of at least one year, and New York does not accept a clinical exam in its place. Several other states accept completion of an accredited residency as one pathway to licensure, as an alternative to a clinical licensure exam. Rules differ by state and change, so if you plan to practice in a particular state, check its dental board's current requirements before you choose between a residency and a clinical exam.
Applying: ADEA PASS and the Dental Match
The application
Most AEGD and GPR programs collect applications through ADEA PASS. For the 2026 to 2027 cycle, PASS opened May 13, 2026, and it closes February 12, 2027. Fees are $199 for the first program and $92 for each additional program. PASS requires three professional evaluation forms (you can add up to two optional ones) and an institution evaluation completed by your dental school. Program deadlines vary: among the programs we looked at, deadlines ranged from August 1 to mid-October. Apply early in the summer before your fourth year.
The Match
The Postdoctoral Dental Matching Program, run by National Matching Services, handles offers for participating programs. The applicant fee is $100, and a match is binding for both you and the program. For positions starting in 2027, GPR and AEGD programs moved from Phase II to Phase I, alongside orthodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, and dental anesthesiology. The Match says programs asked for the change to allow a longer period to fill positions after the Match and to align better with non-Match programs that recruit earlier.
| Date | What happens (positions starting 2027) |
|---|---|
| May 13, 2026 | Match applicant registration opens; ADEA PASS opens |
| October 1, 2026 | Recommended Match registration deadline |
| October 26, 2026 | Phase I rankings open |
| November 16, 2026 | Phase I rank order list deadline |
| November 23, 2026 | Phase I results; post-match process begins for unfilled positions |
If you are also applying to pediatric dentistry or OMS, note that those specialties remain in Phase II, and anyone who matches in Phase I cannot rank programs in Phase II. Ranking a GPR or AEGD as a backup now means a November match would take you out of the January specialty match. Plan your rank list accordingly.
Not every program is in the Match
Participation is voluntary. Two of the university GPRs we checked state that they do not participate and take applications through PASS on their own timelines. Non-Match programs can make offers whenever they choose, sometimes before Match results, so ask each program how and when it makes offers. If a non-Match program offers you a position, read the Match rules on withdrawing before you accept.
2026 Match numbers
| Program type | Applicants ranking | Positions offered | Filled in the Match | Unfilled after the Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. GPR | 706 | 588 | 474 | 114 |
| AEGD | 398 | 216 | 141 | 75 |
These figures, from National Matching Services' 2026 summary statistics, show two things. Many applicants who rank a GPR or AEGD also rank specialty programs, and many PGY-1 positions go unfilled in the Match itself. The post-match process exists for exactly this reason. If you do not match, positions are usually still available, although your choice of location and program will be narrower.
How to decide
Use these as starting points, not rules:
- Lean GPR if you want experience with medically complex patients, hospital dentistry, sedation, and the operating room; if you are considering oral surgery, pediatric dentistry, dental anesthesiology, or hospital-based practice later; or if you want the broadest range of patients in one year.
- Lean AEGD if your priority is restorative speed and volume, implants, and comprehensive treatment planning; if you plan to go into private practice or ownership soon; or if you are thinking about prosthodontics or periodontics.
- Consider a two-year program if you want deeper implant, surgical, or complex restorative training without committing to a specialty.
- Consider skipping the residency if you feel clinically ready, have a strong mentoring associate position lined up, and are not bound by a residency licensure requirement. A good first job with a supportive owner can teach a great deal.
Questions to ask every program
- What is the current stipend, and is there any tuition or fee?
- What benefits are included (health insurance, malpractice coverage, time off, CE funds)?
- How many patients does a resident typically see per day?
- How many implants, crowns, molar endodontic cases, and dentures does a typical resident complete?
- What rotations are included, and how long is each?
- How often do residents take call, and what does a call night look like?
- Does the program participate in the Match? If not, when does it make offers?
- Is there an optional second year, and how are second-year residents selected?
- Where have recent graduates gone: private practice, specialty programs, public health?
- Does the program meet the residency licensure requirement of the state where you plan to practice?
After the residency
Many PGY-1 graduates go into practice as associates, and the skills you gain in a residency are a legitimate point in negotiations. Before you sign your first contract, read our guides to negotiating an associate offer and associate contract red flags, and use the first-year associate checklist. If you are still deciding between general dentistry and a specialty, the dental specialties explained covers what each one involves.
The short version
GPRs put you in the hospital: rotations, medically complex patients, the operating room, and usually call. AEGDs put you in a clinic doing high volumes of comprehensive care. Both are accredited, both are usually paid, and both can make you a better dentist in a year. Choose based on the patients you want to be ready for, check each program's stipend, rotations, and Match status in its PASS listing, and mark November 16, 2026 on your calendar if you are applying for a 2027 start.
ChairsideSource is not affiliated with ADEA, CODA, or National Matching Services. Program details, stipends, licensure rules, and Match dates change; confirm them with each program, your state dental board, and the official sites.
Educational content only. It is not legal, financial, tax, or clinical advice. Prices and ranges are approximate and vary by region, condition, and year. Verify current rules with your state dental board and qualified professionals. ChairsideSource is not affiliated with any manufacturer, the ADA, or the DAT.