Dr. William W. Clance of Metter attained a rare distinction among dentists this year when he received the Mastership Award from the Academy of General Dentistry.
        Clance is now entitled to follow the DMD, for Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry, after his name with MAGD, for Master of the Academy of General Dentistry. Only one percent of dentists in the United States and Canada have earned this distinction, according to the academy.
        Member dentists first earn the fellowship, or FAGD.
        To earn the Mastership Award, Dr. Clance completed 1,100 hours of dental continuing education in both lecture and hands-on courses.
        The required course categories include Endodontics, Myofascial Pain, Occlusion, Operative Dentistry, Anesthesia and Pain Management, Pharmacology, Orthodontics, Pediatrics, Periodontics, Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics, Implants, Oral Medicine, Special Care Patients, and Esthetics and Cosmetic Dentistry.
        "This award requires an extraordinary amount of time and effort," said AGD Immediate Past President W. Mark Donald, DMD, MAGD. "Dr. Clance should be commended for his unflagging commitment to continuing education, which allows him to provide the best possible dental care and oral health education to his patients."
        Clance joined more than 2,300 active AGD Masters who have achieved the academy's highest honor by going above and beyond the basic requirements to care for their patients' oral health, the Academy of General Dentistry announced.
        He received the award during the academy's 2016 annual meeting, held July 14-17 in Boston.
Clance, who graduated from the Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry in Augusta, has a long-established dental practice in Metter. He and his wife, Delene, have a son, W. Christopher Clance, DMD, who practices dentistry in Greenville, South Carolina.
        Founded in 1952, the Academy of General Dentistry is a professional association of 41,000 general dentists in the United States and Canada.
        It is the second largest dental association in the United States, and bills itself as the only association that exclusively serves the needs and represents the interests of general dentists. For more information about the AGD, visit www.agd.org.