12 May 0026

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ADA and ADEX Advance Dental Licensure Examinations Through New Agreement

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ADEX to incorporate the Dental Licensure Objective Structured Clinical Examination (DLOSCE) into the ADEX Dental Examination no later than Aug.

The American Dental Association (ADA) and the American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX) have finalized an agreement to license the ADA’s Dental Licensure Objective Structured Clinical Examination (DLOSCE) for incorporation into the ADEX Dental Examination, marking a significant step forward in modernizing dental licensure and advancing patient safety.

The agreement benefits public health, dental licensure candidates, the dental profession, and licensing boards by helping ensure dentists enter the profession with proven competence and uphold the highest standards for patient safety.

The integration of the ADA’s DLOSCE simplifies licensure pathways and supports licensure portability, benefiting candidates seeking to practice in 48 states and other jurisdictions—including Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and the U.S. Virgin Islands—that currently accept or require the ADEX Dental Examination.

“This agreement represents an important milestone for the dental profession,” said Dr. Richard Rosato, DMD, president of the ADA. “By aligning pathways to licensure and advancing candidate assessment, we are strengthening licensure portability, supporting a more mobile and responsive workforce, and ensuring that patient safety remains paramount. The ADA has long championed solutions that modernize licensure while protecting the public, and this collaboration reflects our commitment to shaping a strong, sustainable future for dentistry in service to public health.”

The ADEX Dental Examination, with its DLOSCE component, represents a modernized, evidence-based approach to evaluating clinical competence and readiness for practice. The ADEX Dental Examination will continue to assess candidates’ clinical hand skills alongside their treatment planning and decision-making abilities. Through inclusion of the DLOSCE, the ADEX Dental Examination will benefit from the DLOSCE’s extensive use of images and 3D models that allow candidates to demonstrate their clinical judgment in scenarios that closely mirror real-world practice.

“ADEX has long served state dental boards to support licensure processes that reflect both public protection and clinical competence,” said Dr. Mark Armstrong, Chair of ADEX. “This agreement continues that work by strengthening alignment across assessment components while preserving the clinical hand-skills evaluation that remains central to licensure in most U.S. jurisdictions.”

The agreement follows extensive collaboration among the ADA, ADEX, the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE), and the ADA Council on Dental Education and Licensure (CDEL) that began in 2025. In March 2026, the ADA Board of Trustees and ADEX Board of Directors voted to approve the general terms that led to this joint agreement.

Central to discussions was a shared commitment to ensuring that dental licensure assessments continue to evolve in step with advancements in clinical education, technology, and patient care. Both organizations emphasized the importance of strengthening public protection while also enhancing the portability of dental licensure for candidates navigating an increasingly mobile profession.

ADEX will sunset its DSE OSCE no later than Aug. 1, 2026. Upon sunset of the DSE OSCE, all ADEX Dental Examination administrations will include the DLOSCE.

The DLOSCE will no longer be offered or administered as a standalone examination to new DLOSCE candidates, except in conjunction with the ADEX Dental Examination, after Aug. 1, 2026. All standalone administrations of the DLOSCE will cease after Oct. 9, 2026.

The not-for-profit ADA is the nation’s largest dental association, representing more 152,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public’s health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA’s state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance has long been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) , published monthly, is the ADA’s flagship publication and the best-read scientific journal in dentistry.

About the American Board of Dental Examiners

The American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting dental boards in their mission to protect the public through the licensure of qualified oral health professionals. Established in 1969, ADEX administers independent competency examinations developed and approved by representatives of state dental boards. ADEX examinations are accepted or required by law in 51 U.S. jurisdictions and serve as the initial licensure pathway for 98% of dental and 85% of dental hygiene candidates nationwide. Through ongoing collaboration with dental boards and educators, ADEX continues to advance innovative, evidence-based assessment methods that uphold the highest standards of fairness, clinical competence, and public protection.

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