Dentists with Degrees from International Dental Schools click here.
Only dentists with DDS or DMD degrees from U.S. or Canadian Dental Schools may take the ADEX Dental regional examinations accepted in more than 40 states. However, several states in the northeastern region of the United States of America (including Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, New York and Ohio) do have mechanisms to license dentists with dental degrees from international dental schools. To determine your eligibility for licensure in a specific licensing jurisdiction, you should directly contact the dental board for that licensing jurisdiction. (The phone numbers and addresses of each CDCA Participating Jurisdictions’ dental board and are listed elsewhere on this website.)
Dental CIF Examination
The following is a brief description of the Curriculum Integrated Format (CIF) of the dental examination. For more extensive information please download the CIF Dental Candidate Manual.
The CIF format of the ADEX Dental Examination is available only to candidates currently in dental school and consists of five examinations; the Restorative, the Periodontal, the Prosthodontic, the Endodontic and the Diagnostic Skills Exam OSCE (DSE OSCE) Examinations. The Prosthodontic and Endodontic Examinations are usually offered at the candidate’s dental school in the Fall during the senior year. If either examination is failed it may be retaken usually in November or December. The Restorative and Periodontal Examinations are usually offered at the candidate’s dental school January to March during their senior year. If either of these examinations is failed or if the candidate failed the retake of the Prosthodontic and/or Endodontic examinations, then the failed examination(s) may be retaken from April to June of their senior year. Usually dental schools do not permit candidates to take any patient based exams until after January 1st of their graduation year. Special permission from their school is required for this to occur. The DSE OSCE examination may be taken at any time in the senior year and is available 6 days a week all year long through the Prometric testing centers all across the US and Canada. Candidates have 18 months to successfully complete the ADEX dental exam series. That 18 months will begin on the date of the first exam challenged or July 1st of their senior (final) year, whichever occurs later If a candidate does not successfully complete the ADEX dental exam series within that period, that candidate must re-take all parts of the examination, including the computer-based portion. If the candidate is held back a year, the time starts on July 1 of the final year. If any examination in the series is not successfully completed within the 18 months, all examinations of the series must be retaken using the Traditional Format. A score of 75 or more is required to pass each Examination. If one part is failed 3 times within the 18 months, the candidate must retake all parts as well. Application deadline for the CIF Examination is typically at the end of June. Applications received after the application deadline date will incur a late registration fee.
Dental Exam Traditional Format
The following is a brief description of the Traditional Format of the dental examination. For more extensive information please download the Traditional Dental Candidate Manual.
The Traditional Format of the ADEX Dental Examination consists of five examinations; the Restorative, the Periodontal, the Prosthodontic, the Endodontic and the Diagnostic Skills Exam OSCE (DSE OSCE) Examinations. This format is only available to Dentists that have already graduated and are eligible to take patient based examinations (Anterior Restorative, Posterior Restorative, and Periodontal). This exam series is offered at multiple sites. Candidates applying for the first time, must register to take all Examinations of the Examination in Dentistry. Candidates may take the Restorative, Periodontal, Prosthodontic and Endodontic Examinations only once during each scheduled exam. If a candidate receives failing scores, the candidate should reapply and retake all failed examinations together at the same site except the DSE OSCE. All outstanding or failed examinations must be taken before scheduling a retake of any one examination. Candidates will have 18 months to successfully complete the ADEX dental exam series. That 18 months will begin on the date of the first exam challenged. If a candidate does not successfully complete the ADEX dental exam series within that period, that candidate must re-take all parts of the examination, including any computer-based portions. The DSE OSCE may be taken at any Prometric Testing Center within an 18 month period beginning with the date your first examination portion was taken. A score of 75 or more is required to pass each Examination. If any one part is failed 3 times within the 18 months, the candidate must retake all parts as well. Applications received after the application deadline date will incur a late registration fee.