Our Curriculum
The Institute for Functional Dentistry (IFD) is a nonprofit educational institute developing and hosting the world's first residency-style certificate pathway in Functional Dentistry.
Through a structured, multi-track curriculum, IFD bridges dentistry and medicine using systems biology, core functional medicine principles, and oral-systemic science. IFD‘s educational curriculum is evidence based, while also teaching emerging science and cutting edge clinical implementation and protocols.
Each track is delivered through self-paced virtual lectures and Case Study and Clinical Integration (CSCI) sessions with faculty Q&A. What makes the IFD curriculum rare is the breadth of what it covers and how it is taught: topics like airway, the oral microbiome, pediatric development, systems biology, and timeline medicine are often found in separate programs or specializations. IFD brings them together in one integrated framework, taught to clinical application.
Choose the Program That’s Right for You
We offer three distinct certificate tracks tailored to meet you at every stage of your career.
Track 1 is the core introduction to the IFD framework and the recommended starting point for anyone new to functional dentistry. You will build foundational knowledge in oral-systemic health, root-cause clinical reasoning, and whole-body prevention through self-paced lectures and Case Study and Clinical Integration (CSCI) sessions. This track is designed for dental team members, health coaches, and practitioners across disciplines who want a rigorous, evidence-based introduction to the oral-systemic connection.
Ideal for:
Dental hygienists, assistants, treatment coordinators, and other auxiliary providers.
CE Hours:
52.5 CE hours
Credential:
Certificate in Functional Dental Team Care
This track delivers the systems-based and oral–systemic framework clinicians need to implement upstream, preventive, and whole-person periodontal care.
Graduates will qualify to be listed in the IFD Certified Practitioner directory.
Ideal for:
Dental hygienists, periodontal clinicians, and other providers focused on regenerative care and long-term patient transformation.
CE Hours:
85.75 CE hours
Credential:
Certificate in Functional Hygiene
Track 3 is IFD's most comprehensive program and the full scope of what functional dentistry education can be. It covers airway diagnosis and treatment, the oral microbiome, pediatric development, advanced diagnostics, regenerative sciences, and practice integration, all at depth. These topics are often taught in isolation across separate institutes and specializations. Live CSCI sessions give you direct access to the field's leading educators at every stage, so you can apply what you are learning to your actual practice in real time. This is the program for clinicians who are ready to build something that looks genuinely different from conventional dentistry.
Ideal for:
General dentists and specialists, as well as integrative practitioners.
CE Hours:
160+ CE hours
Credential:
Certificate in Functional Dentistry
Program Objectives
Upon completion of the program, participants will be able to:
IFD Provider Network Directory
IFD practitioners who complete Track 3 are listed in our “IFD Provider Network Directory”.
A Functional Dental Practice Certificate is awarded for practices that have completed IFD’s education as a unified care team. This designation is earned when all dentists complete Track 3 and all team members complete Track 1 or Track 2, reflecting a shared foundation in functional dentistry across the entire practice.
FAQS about IFD Programs
The Institute for Functional Dentistry (IFD) is an independent, self-funded nonprofit organization offering residency-level certificate programs in functional dentistry. IFD has its own mission, faculty, and curriculum.
Both.
IFD's curriculum is built for practitioners who are ready to think more completely about how the mouth connects to the rest of the body. Whether you are part of a dental team, a health coach, or a functional medicine practitioner, the program meets you where you are and gives you a clinical framework you can apply immediately.
The functional medicine model is centered around establishing a therapeutic partnership with the patient. This helps practitioners reconnect to their purpose in medicine and can decrease feelings of burnout.
The program includes self-paced virtual lectures, Live Case Study & Clinical Integration Sessions with faculty Q&A, recorded session access, module-based quizzes, a final exam, and access to a private practitioner community and virtual exhibit hall.
Track 1 is designed for dental team members, health coaches, and practitioners across disciplines who want a rigorous introduction to functional dentistry and the oral-systemic connection. It is the recommended starting point for anyone new to the IFD framework, regardless of background.
Track 2 is designed for licensed dental hygienists, periodontal therapists, and prevention-focused clinicians who are ready to apply functional and systemic frameworks directly to clinical oral health practice.
Track 3 is designed for dentists, dental specialists, and integrative practitioners with a clinical background who are ready for a comprehensive, multi-year functional dentistry education and the IFD credential pathway.
The credentials you receive depend on the certificate track you complete. The Institute for Functional Dentistry (IFD) offers the following main pathways, each resulting in a specific credential.
| Track 1: Functional Dental Team | Track 2: Functional Hygiene | Track 3: Core Functional Dentistry |
|---|---|---|
|
Designed for clinical support professionals: Dental Hygienists, Dental Assistants, Treatment Coordinators, Non-Licensed Team Members,
Auxiliary Providers and Allied Health Professional. Results in a Certificate in Functional Dental Team Care. |
Designed for: Dental Hygienists, Periodontal-focused clinicians, Oral Hygiene Enthusiasts, Preventive Health Coaches working in dental settings.
Results in a Functional Hygiene Certificate and eligibility for a listing in the IFD Provider Network Directory. |
Designed for: General Dentists, Dental Specialists and Integrative Practitioners.
Results in a Core Functional Dentistry Certificate and qualifies you for a listing in the IFD Provider Network Directory. |
