Track 3 Curriculum:
Core
Functional  Dentistry
Certificate


The flagship pathway for clinicians, educators, and researchers shaping the future of personalized oral healthcare. This program delivers comprehensive Functional Dentistry training through IFD, immersive case-based learning, and direct access to leading educators across dentistry and systems medicine. Become a part of a community committed to advancing dentistry beyond procedures, toward prevention, precision, and healing. 

Elevate Your
Clinical Practice

Shape the
Future of Dentistry.

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IFD Track 3 Curriculum

  • Includes IFD:  Modules 1 - 6
  • 70 + CE  hours
  • Ideal Timeline: 2.5 years
    (On-Demand & Self-Paced)

Program Overview

At the Institute for Functional Dentistry (IFD), we train clinicians to become true health collaborators—equipping them to address root causes of disease and elevate patient outcomes through systems-based care.

Track 3 builds on the IFD core curriculum and advances clinicians into deeper clinical integration, emphasizing applied oral-systemic frameworks and complex case reasoning. This track includes focused study in key whole-body systems that strongly influence oral health, with particular attention to environmental and gastrointestinal influences on chronic disease and inflammation.

Designed for professionals seeking depth, competency, and confident application, Track 3 supports meaningful integration of functional dentistry principles into daily practice. Participants develop the clinical reasoning, practical frameworks, and flexibility needed to translate systems-based concepts into real-world patient care.
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Continuing Education Hours

The program includes 70+ continuing education (CE) hours, delivered through a comprehensive educational framework that integrates didactic learning, case-based application, clinical integration, and collaborative reflection.

Upon successful completion, participants receive a Certificate in Functional Dentistry from the Institute for Functional Dentistry, recognizing completion of the program and demonstrated competency in applied functional dentistry principles.

This certificate reflects advanced training in oral-systemic integration, systems-based clinical reasoning, and the practical application of functional dentistry concepts in real-world patient care.

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Who Is This For?

This program is for dentists who are ready to elevate their practice and apply functional principles. It's designed for those who want to bridge the gap between traditional and functional dentistry without committing to the full board pathway.
  • General Dentists
  • Dental Specialists
  • Integrative Practitioners

Dentists face unprecedented burnout when their training teaches procedures without grounding them in purpose. Functional dentistry reconnects clinicians to meaning, clarity, and the true impact of their work.
 

The IFD Difference

Our residency-style curriculum ensures you develop a full-spectrum skill set,
integrating functional medicine and dentistry.
You will learn a systems-based approach rooted in the principles of Functional Medicine. 

Integrated Functional Medicine Training

The program establishes a foundation in functional medicine principles,
paired with IFD-led case integration sessions.

Participants begin with a core clinical curriculum, supported by structured IFD integration sessions that translate systems-based concepts into oral-health–specific application.

Specialized IFD Modules

This program delivers the full IFD curriculum, a comprehensive and deeply
integrated educational experience spanning the biological, clinical, behavioral
and systems-based dimensions of functional dentistry.

Through more than 50 specialty-specific, pre-recorded lectures and 19 IFD integration sessions, participants explore oral-systemic health across nutrition, the microbiome, airway and pediatric development, periodontics, diagnostics, detoxification, regenerative and restorative sciences, bioenergetics, and practice leadership. The curriculum also addresses communication, ethics, resilience, and implementation within modern dental practice.

This immersive, case-based structure ensures clinicians move beyond theory into confident,
systems-level application of functional dentistry.

Functional Learning Series

The Functional Learning Series deepens understanding of how interconnected
biological systems influence oral and whole-body health.


Content explores how internal and external factors affect inflammation, resilience,
detoxification and healing, with emphasis on clinically relevant patterns
impacting periodontal and oral-systemic outcomes. Sessions are delivered by experienced functional medicine physicians and tailored specifically to dental and hygiene practice.


Each component is supported by IFD Integration Sessions to reinforce application and synthesis.

Detailed Curriculum Breakdown

Track 3 is designed for dentists seeking deep integration and clinical mastery within functional dentistry.
This curriculum develops the ability to recognize early oral–systemic patterns, apply systems-based clinical reasoning
and translate functional insights into proactive, preventive dental care.

Program completion prepares dentists to serve as first detectors of dysfunction within the healthcare team.

Our motto is

#Mouth Matters| #Spit for Science| #Bridge the Gap


Join thousands of clinicians transforming the way they understand, diagnose, and address oral-systemic health.

“Dentistry involves more than teeth; it includes craniofacial growth, jaw position, and tongue posture. These factors directly influence airway anatomy and function, which in turn affect breathing and sleep. This is why functional dentistry is essential to overall health.”

- Patrick Mckeown, MA, FRSB

“The mouth is not separate from the body. Functional dentistry bridges oral and systemic health by asking ‘why’ and working as a collaborative clinical team to identify the systemic root causes such as airway health, nutrition, digestion and absorption, hormone balance, and the microbiome, so we can create care that is preventive, personalized, and truly whole-body.”

- Meghan Barnett, MS, CNS
“Functional dentistry traces problems back to their actual drivers: airway dysfunction, microbiome dysbiosis, salivary chemistry, hormonal balance, systemic stress. It’s time to foster oral health that doesn’t need constant intervention, and the IFD is a phenomenal resource for those looking to achieve that balance. Functional dentistry redefines dentists as frontline clinicians in chronic disease prevention and healthspan optimization.”

- Ilon Choai, DDS, MS

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this program for?

Licensed clinicians including dentists of all specialties, physicians, and advanced practitioners seeking deep functional dentistry integration without committing to full board certification.

What level of training is this?

Advanced clinical training with strong systems-based and case-based integration.

Does this program include functional medicine training?

Yes. Track 3 includes IFM Advanced Practice Modules (APMs) in Environmental Health and Gastrointestinal Health.

Does this program include IFM board certification?

No. Track 3 does not require or complete the full IFM board certification pathway.

How is the curriculum delivered?

Pre-recorded lectures, live and recorded faculty case studies, Q&A sessions every 1–2 weeks, module-based quizzes, and a final exam.

How long does the program take?

Approximately 2–3 years, depending on pace.

How many CE hours are included?

175 CE hours.

What certificate will I receive?

Certificate in Functional Dentistry.

Will my name be listed in directories?

Yes. Graduates are eligible for listing in both the IFD and IFM Practitioner directories.

Is there case-based learning?

Yes. Advanced, complex oral–systemic case work is central to this track.

Is the program fully online?

Yes.

Is there community support after completion?

Yes. Graduates join the global IFD professional community with access to ongoing education.

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Continuing Education Disclosure:

Continuing education (CE) credit for the Institute for Functional Dentistry (IFD) Certification Program is awarded on a module-by-module basis in accordance with AGD PACE guidelines. All IFD courses are self-paced and didactic; no hands-on clinical training is included. Each CE-eligible module consists of required educational components, which may include self-instruction lectures and associated assessments. Completion of all CE-eligible components and the module evaluation is required to earn CE credit. Case studies, integration sessions, and discussion-based learning experiences are included for educational enrichment but are designated as non-CE activities. Participants are encouraged to seek additional hands-on training and clinical mentorship before applying new techniques in patient care settings.

The IFD curriculum is structured as a sequential program. Modules must be completed in order (Module 1 through Module 6). Each module builds upon foundational concepts introduced in prior modules. The learning platform is configured to enforce this order, subsequent modules will remain locked until prior modules are successfully completed. This structure ensures all participants enter each stage of the curriculum with the appropriate preparation.

All IFD courses are didactic and self-paced in format. They do not include live patient interaction, supervised clinical practice, or hands-on procedural training. Completion of this course does not confer clinical competency to perform procedures. Participants are advised to supplement didactic learning with appropriate clinical training, mentorship, or supervised hands-on practice before incorporating new techniques into patient care. It is the professional and ethical responsibility of each licensed practitioner to assess their own clinical readiness prior to applying new skills in a patient care setting.