Dental Licensure and the NBDE
Licensure of dentists in the United States is the responsibility of an individual state, district, or dependency. A license issued by one such jurisdiction is applicable only within the geographic confines of that particular jurisdiction. Agencies in state government that administer dental licensure under laws adopted by state legislatures typically are called state boards of dentistry. A list of contacts and addresses of state boards can be found at www.dentalboards.org.
Specific dental licensure requirements vary among jurisdictions, but all jurisdictions have three basic requirements: an educational requirement, a written examination requirement, and a clinical examination requirement. All jurisdictions accept graduation from a dental school accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) of the American Dental Association as fulfilling the educational requirement. Most jurisdictions also accept graduation from a Canadian dental school accredited by the Canadian Commission on Dental Accreditation (CDAC).
The NBDE Part I is intended to fulfill or partially fulfill the written examination requirement, but acceptance of National Board scores is completely at the discretion of the individual state. A state may place any limit on acceptance of National Board scores that it deems appropriate. For example, some states accept National Board scores only if earned within the last five to 15 years.
The Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE) is the agency responsible for the development and administration of the National Boards. This 15-member Commission includes representatives of dental schools, dental practice, state dental examining boards, dental hygiene, dental students, and the public.
Clinical examinations may be conducted by individual state boards of dentistry or by regional or independent clinical dental examination agencies.
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NBDE Part I Guide © 2010 Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations
You are required to read this document before you apply to take the
examination. At the time of application, you will be required to
confirm that you have read this document and that you understand
and agree to the policies and procedures contained in it.
Changes in the NBDE Part I may occur after publication of this Guide. If
changes occur, they will be posted at the Web site www.ADA.org. You
must become familiar with and will be subject to the policies and
procedures in effect at the time you test.
All rights reserved.Purpose of the Examination
The purpose of the NBDE Part I and Part II is to assist state boards in determining qualifications of dentists who seek licensure to practice dentistry. The examinations assess the ability to understand important information from basic biomedical and dental sciences and the ability to apply such information in a problem-solving context.
Recognition of the NBDE Certification
Currently, all United States licensing jurisdictions recognize National Board results. These jurisdictions include all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands of the United States.
Ethical Conduct and the Licensure Process for Dentists
Dentists play an important role in society by providing oral health services that contribute to the health and well-being of individuals and their communities. The dental profession requires its members to behave ethically in the practice of dentistry at all times. This obligation begins at the time of application to dental school and continues through the educational process, the licensure process, and the entirety of professional practice.
The American Dental Association’s Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct defines and explains the expectations for ethical conduct in the following way: “The dental profession holds a special position of trust within society. Consequently, society affords the profession certain privileges that are not available to members of the public-at-large. In return, the profession makes a commitment to society that its members will adhere to high ethical standards of conduct. These standards are embodied in the ADA Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct (ADA Code). The ADA Code is, in effect, a written expression of the obligations arising from the implied contract between the dental professions and society.” Members of the profession voluntarily abide by the ADA Code in the interest of protecting patients and maintaining the trust of society.
Applicants for the NBDEs are expected to abide by these ethical standards and to read, understand and comply with the Rules of Conduct and Examination Regulations guiding the examinations. The obligation to abide by the ethical standards of the profession includes a commitment to honesty, truthfulness, full disclosure, accuracy, fairness, and integrity in completing the examination application, in the examination process itself and in applying for licensure.
The purpose of the examinations is to ensure that each examination candidate and applicant for licensure has achieved the level of knowledge, skill, and judgment necessary to practice in a safe and responsible manner. Accordingly, all candidates are expected to pass the examination on their own merit without assistance, and are expected to maintain the confidentiality of the examination. Members of the public who entrust dentists with their well-being expect that they are trustworthy and competent individuals.
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NBDE Part I Guide © 2010 Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations
ETHICAL CONDUCT
All rights reserved.
Behavior that results in misconduct or irregularity in the licensure examination process is a very serious matter. Violation of the NBDE Rules of Conduct or the Examination Regulations may result in voiding of examination results and/or civil liability. Under certain circumstances, misconduct or irregularity in the examination process may be reported to the relevant licensing authority. A candidate who acts unethically risks potential delay, denial, suspension, or loss of licensure.
The JCNDE, the state boards of dentistry, and the profession at-large expect strong ethical behavior in all candidates for licensure. The JCNDE annually publishes information about the policies and procedures applicable to misconduct and irregularities in the NBDE application and examination process. The information is available through the Web site www.ADA.org, or by contacting the JCNDE by telephone, facsimile, or in writing. The JCNDE expects all candidates to carefully read and understand this information and their obligations as candidates for National Board certification. Questions regarding these principles and policies should be directed to the JCNDE.
The JCNDE does not discriminate based on race/ethnicity, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, or marital status.
To participate in the NBDE Part I, a candidate must qualify through one of the provisions listed below:
Dental Student
A student in an accredited dental education program is eligible for examination when the dean of the dental school (or designee) certifies that the student is prepared in all NBDE Part I disciplines. If the dental school is accredited by the CODA, the approval of the application by the dean (or designee) meets this requirement. Currently, only dental schools in the United States and in Canada (by reciprocal agreement) are accredited by the CODA.
A dental student attending a non-accredited dental school can also be eligible for examination. If the dental school is not accredited, certification must be provided on the Certification of Eligibility form (found at www.ADA.org). The completed form must include the seal of the university, the signature of the dean or the registrar, and be submitted to the JCNDE office with the application and fee.
Former Dental Student
A former dental student who has completed courses in preparation for NBDE Part I but is no longer enrolled in the same dental school is eligible for examination only if admitted or conditionally admitted to another accredited dental school; conditionally admitted is defined as admission contingent upon successful completion of the NBDE Part I.
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NBDE Part I Guide © 2010 Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
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Verification of admission or conditional admission from the accredited dental school must be submitted with the application. Verification must be in the form of a letter from the dean of the accredited dental school.
Dentist
A dentist who is an active, life, or retired member of the American Dental Association at the time of application is eligible for examination without further documentation.
An affiliate member or a non-member must submit (with the application) verification that he/she is a dentist. Such verification must be in the form of a letter of recommendation from one of the following:
1. The secretary of a board of dentistry of a United States licensing jurisdiction in which the individual is licensed or eligible for licensure as a dentist.
2. The dean or registrar of an accredited dental school from which the dentist was graduated. Graduates of non-accredited dental schools must have evidence of graduation verified and submitted as described under Non-Accredited Dental School Graduate.
3. The dean, director, or registrar of an accredited advanced dental education program in which the dentist studied or is studying at the postgraduate level.
4. The dean of an accredited dental school to which the dentist is applying for admission with advanced standing. (This establishes eligibility for NBDE Part I only.)
The letter should state the name of the school that granted the DDS/DMD degree, the degree, and when it was granted.
Graduate of a Non-Accredited Dental School
The following provisions are required for the verification of educational credentials obtained from
non-accredited dental schools, i.e., schools not accredited by the CODA or the Canadian Commission on Dental Accreditation (CDAC).
1. You must submit an examination application and fee to:
Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations 211 East Chicago Avenue, Suite 600, Chicago, Illinois 60611-2637
2. You must have official dental school course transcripts verified by:
Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. P.O. Box 514070, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202-3470 414.289.3400 www.ece.org
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NBDE Part I Guide © 2010 Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations
All rights reserved.
a. You must contact Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE) and request an ECE application form. The ECE form will describe what educational credentials are required, the manner in which to submit them to ECE, and applicable fees. The candidate should indicate on the ECE application that a General Report on the evaluation of the educational credentials should be sent directly to the JCNDE. It takes approximately four weeks for ECE to evaluate credentials.
b. Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. will send the ECE General Evaluation Report directly to you and the JCNDE (if you request this on the ECE application).
c. You must be aware that the JCNDE will hold the examination application, but will not process it before the ECE Evaluation Report is received.
d. The name on the ECE report must match the name on your application. Any name changes must be accompanied by legal documentation.
Graduate of Non-Accredited Dental School Currently Enrolled in an Accredited Dental Program
A graduate of a non-accredited dental school who is enrolled in an accredited dental education program is eligible for examination when the dean of the accredited U.S. or Canadian dental school (or designee) certifies that the student is prepared in all NBDE Part I disciplines.
Eligibility for Reexamination
Candidates who have passed the NBDE Part I may not retake the examination unless required by a state board or relevant regulatory agency.
Candidates who have not passed may apply for reexamination at any time. However, notification of eligibility will not be sent to the Prometric Contact Center until at least 85 days have lapsed from the last attempt. When the notification of eligibility has been sent to Prometric, an e-mail (or letter via U.S. mail if no e-mail address is on file) will be sent to you instructing you to visit www.prometric.com or to call the Prometric Contact Center at 800.688.5804 to schedule a testing appointment. A minimum of 90 days must separate a candidate’s reexaminations on the NBDE Part I.
NBDE Part I candidates who have not passed an examination after three attempts will be required to wait 12 months after their third attempt before they can apply for reexamination. An examination attempt is defined as any examination administration where the candidate has been seated at a computer examination facility and electronically agreed to the confidentiality statement to start the examination. After the 12-month waiting period has lapsed, a new cycle of three examination attempts will apply. Candidates are encouraged to seek formal remediation before reexamination.
