Our AEGD Partnership
Advanced Care. Experienced Oversight. Affordable for Everyone.
What Is the AEGD Program?
The Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) program is a post-doctoral residency offered through Johnston Memorial Hospital right here in Southwest Virginia. AEGD residents are fully licensed dentists — professionals who have already completed four years of dental school and passed their board exams — who are pursuing an additional year of advanced clinical training in general dentistry.
This is an important distinction. When you receive care at Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center, you are not being treated by a dental student. You are being treated by a licensed dentist expanding their expertise under the direct supervision of experienced, credentialed dental faculty.
How the Partnership Works
Johnston Memorial Hospital’s AEGD residents complete a significant portion of their clinical training at our facility. This arrangement benefits everyone involved.
Residents gain hands-on experience with the full range of general dentistry procedures — including complex restorative cases they might not encounter as frequently in other settings. Supervising faculty provide real-time guidance and quality oversight on every case. And our patients receive thorough, attentive care from motivated clinicians who are invested in doing excellent work.
Because the AEGD program provides our clinical staffing, we are able to operate with significantly lower overhead than a traditional private practice. We pass every dollar of those savings directly to our patients through our sliding fee scale.
Why This Matters for Southwest Virginia
Our region has long faced a shortage of dental providers. There simply are not enough practicing dentists in Southwest Virginia to meet the community’s needs — particularly for patients who cannot access or afford private practice care.
The AEGD partnership addresses this problem on two fronts. First, it allows us to deliver high-quality, comprehensive dental care to underserved patients right now. Second, it brings dentists to this region and gives them a meaningful connection to the community — and some of them stay. Every resident who trains here and goes on to practice in Southwest Virginia is a lasting investment in the region’s healthcare capacity.
What This Means for You as a Patient
You will receive a comprehensive examination, a clear explanation of your treatment needs, and care delivered with the same clinical standards you would expect from any licensed dentist — because that is exactly what your provider is.
Your case is reviewed and overseen by supervising faculty throughout your treatment. You are never just a chart number here. The residents who treat you are building their careers one patient at a time, and they take that seriously.
The result is a level of care that, frankly, our patients deserve and have too rarely been able to access — delivered at a cost that actually works for their lives.
Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center Abingdon, Virginia | 501(c)(3) Non-Profit | Sliding Fee Scale