The American Board of Dental Examiners

What The American Board of Dental Examiners does

The American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX) is a U.S. non-profit organization that develops and administers standardized clinical licensure examinations for dentists and dental hygienists across North America. Headquartered in Linthicum Heights, Maryland with a secondary office in Phoenix, Arizona, the organization was formed on September 1, 2025 through the merger of ADEX (the test developer) and CDCA-WREB-CITA (the test administrator), consolidating nearly six decades of regional dental testing history dating to the 1969 founding of the North East Regional Board of Dental Examiners. ADEX examinations are accepted or required by law for licensure in 51 U.S. jurisdictions (including the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico), serving approximately 98% of dental licensure candidates and 85% of dental hygiene licensure candidates in the United States.

The organization delivers examinations through three primary channels: clinical psychomotor exams hosted at dental schools across the U.S. and internationally (Canada, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Mexico, and as of January 2026, Saudi Arabia), computer-based OSCE exams administered at Prometric and PSI test centers, and tablet-based grading using specialized psychometric software. Its core proprietary technologies include the patented CompeDont™ simulated tooth (approved April 6, 2020) and the SimProDH dental hygiene manikin system, which together replaced patient-based testing entirely by 2024. Revenue is generated primarily through candidate examination registration fees, supplemented by score report requests ($35 per U.S. address/$50 international), appeals ($400 administrative fee), and facility fees collected from or paid to host dental schools. A recent partnership with the American Dental Association (finalized April 2026) integrates the ADA's DLOSCE clinical judgment examination into the ADEX Dental Examination by August 1, 2026, modernizing the assessment portfolio with advanced computer-based item types including images and 3D models.

ADEX operates with 11-50 core employees supported by a network of nearly 1,300 contracted examiners composed of current and former state board members and dental educators, who administer, grade, and contribute to test development. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors drawn from state regulatory bodies and is overseen by the Council on Examinations, with members appointed by state dental boards. More than 13,000 individuals participated in ADEX dental examinations in 2024 alone. The unified organization emerged from a sequence of regional consolidations — NERB-to-CDCA rebrand in 2015, CDCA-WREB merger in 2021, CITA joining in 2022, and the September 2025 ADEX-CDCA-WREB-CITA merger — culminating in a single national body that now delivers only ADEX-developed examinations through a unified infrastructure.

Name

The American Board of Dental Examiners

Legal name

American Board of Dental Examiners

Website

https://adextesting.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX) is a U.S. non-profit that develops and administers standardized clinical licensure examinations for dentists, dental hygienists, and allied dental professionals. Formed in September 2025 through the merger of ADEX and CDCA-WREB-CITA, it serves approximately 98% of U.S. dental licensure candidates and operates in 51 U.S. jurisdictions plus five international sites.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Dental Licensure Testing

akta.pro primary industry

Professional & Occupational Licensing Examination Authorities (EDADAFAD)

Keywords

• Dental licensure examinations
• Clinical competency assessments
• Computer-based OSCE testing
• Dental hygiene certification
• Simulated patient testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Linthicum Heights

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Clinical Examination Registration Fees: Candidates pay registration fees to attempt ADEX clinical examinations at host dental schools. Fees vary by exam type and location. Full registration for Dental Therapy and EFDA includes one complimentary retake per clinical examination procedure.
2. Computer-Based Examination Fees: Fees for computerized DLOSCE, DSE OSCE, CSCE OSCE, Florida Laws & Rules, Local Anesthesia, Nitrous Oxide, and Sedation examinations administered at Prometric and PSI test centers.
3. Score Report Fees: Fee-based official score report requests sent to state boards: $35 per U.S. email address and/or mailing address; $50 per international address.
4. Appeal and Score Audit Fees: Candidates pay a $400 administrative fee for appeals reviews. Score audits are also fee-based. Fees are refunded only if the appeal is granted.
5. Facility Fees: Host exam sites (schools) charge facility fees to cover staffing, materials, equipment, and utilities during clinical exam administration. These may be collected by ADEX at registration or paid directly to the school.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX) develops, validates, and administers standardized clinical and computer-based licensure examinations for dentists, dental hygienists, dental therapists, and expanded function dental auxiliaries across the United States and internationally. The organization also develops proprietary simulated-patient examination technology (CompeDont™ simulated tooth and SimProDH manikin system) and operates a secure score-reporting portal (DESP) used by state dental boards to make licensure decisions.

Product overview

The American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX) offers a comprehensive suite of clinical licensure examinations for the oral health professions. The core product is the ADEX Dental Examination series, which includes five clinical components (endodontic, prosthodontic, restorative, periodontal scaling, and computer-based DLOSCE) assessing candidates' psychomotor skills and didactic performance for entry-level dental practice. Supporting examinations include ADEX Dental Hygiene Examination (with PTCE/MTCE and CSCE OSCE components), Dental Therapy Examination, and specialty certifications (Sedation, Local Anesthesia, Nitrous Oxide, EFDA, Dental Hygiene Restorative, and Florida Laws & Rules). Proprietary simulated assessment technologies include the patented CompeDont™ simulated tooth and SimProDH platform. ADEX examinations are accepted in 51 US jurisdictions and internationally in Canada, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ADEX Dental Examination Comprehensive clinical licensure examination for dentists covering endodontic, prosthodontic, and restorative procedures, periodontal scaling, and computer-based DLOSCE/OSCE components. Designed for dental students from CODA-accredited programs and internationally-trained dentists seeking initial U.S. dental licensure.
• ADEX Dental Hygiene Examination Licensure examination for dental hygienists comprising simulated patient treatment clinical examination (PTCE/MTCE) and Computer Simulated Clinical Examination OSCE (CSCE OSCE). For dental hygiene students and graduates of CODA-accredited programs seeking initial state dental hygiene licensure.
• Dental Therapy Examination Licensure examination for dental therapists, developed for the expanding dental therapy profession based on principles of testing and measurement. Includes one complimentary retake per clinical examination procedure with full registration.
• Sedation Examination Computer-based examination for dental sedation certification. Administered as part of ADEX's computer-based examination portfolio at Prometric and PSI test centers.
• Local Anesthesia Examination Clinical and computer-based examination for local anesthesia administration certification in dental practice. Available through Prometric test centers as part of the ADEX computer-based examination portfolio.
• Nitrous Oxide Examination Computer-based examination for nitrous oxide administration certification. Administered through ADEX's computer-based examination network for dental hygienists and dental professionals.
• EFDA (Expanded Function Dental Auxiliary) Examination Examination for expanded function dental auxiliaries enabling advanced clinical responsibilities. Administered at PSI Test Center locations. Includes one complimentary retake per clinical examination procedure with full registration ($150 typodont fee still applies per procedure).
• Dental Hygiene Restorative Examination Restorative procedures examination for dental hygienists with expanded functions. Part of the ADEX dental hygiene advanced certification portfolio.
• Florida Laws & Rules Examination Jurisdiction-specific computer-based examination for Florida dental licensure candidates covering Florida dental statutes and administrative codes. Administered through Prometric test centers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Patient involvement in licensure examinations dropped to zero in 2024 following just fourteen such assessments in 2023, demonstrating complete adoption of simulated patient technology.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Dental Association (ADA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026ADEX and ADA finalized an agreement to license the ADA's Dental Licensure Objective Structured Clinical Examination (DLOSCE) for incorporation into the ADEX Dental Examination by August 1, 2026. The agreement simplifies licensure pathways, advances patient safety, and supports licensure portability across 48+ states and jurisdictions. The integration combines ADEX's clinical hand-skills evaluation with DLOSCE's advanced item types including images and 3D models.
• Right Now for JamaicaminorOthers · 18 March 2026ADEX donated 599 Lenovo tablets through the nonprofit Right Now for Jamaica to support hurricane relief efforts. The tablets support Percy Junor Hospital's transition to electronic health records and educational programs for students whose schools were damaged by Hurricane Melissa in October 2025. ADEX had previously administered dental examinations in Jamaica since 2015.
• CDCA-WREB-CITA (Pre-Merger Entity)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025CDCA-WREB-CITA was the sole administrator of ADEX-developed examinations before merging with ADEX on September 1, 2025 to form the unified American Board of Dental Examiners. CDCA (formerly NERB, became CDCA in 2015), WREB (founded 1976), and CITA (founded 2005) had combined under CDCA-WREB-CITA in 2021-2022 before the full merger with ADEX.
• King Abdulaziz University (KAU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 November 2023ADEX partnered with King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to administer the inaugural ADEX Dental Examination in the Eastern Hemisphere (January 2026). KAU is one of only two CODA-recognized dental education programs outside the United States. The partnership involved multiple site visits, infrastructure validation, examiner preparation, and operational testing over nearly three years of planning.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Prometric: Global test-center operator that administers ADEX's computer-based exams (DLOSCE, CSCE OSCE, Local Anesthesia, etc.). Functions as ADEX's primary delivery partner and as infrastructure for many healthcare licensing assessments.
• Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA): ADA-affiliated accreditor of U.S. dental education programs, including the international host sites ADEX relies on (e.g., King Abdulaziz University is CODA-recognized). A complementary standards body in the dental licensure value chain rather than a direct competitor.
• Pearson VUE: Computer-based testing center network used by ADEX (and many healthcare licensure bodies) for OSCE delivery. Comparable as testing infrastructure partner rather than a developer competitor.
• PSI Services: Testing and licensure services provider that administers ADEX's EFDA examination at PSI Test Centers. Comparable as a licensure testing infrastructure provider across healthcare professions.

Direct peers

• Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE): Operated by the ADA, JCNDE develops the Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE) and historically NBDE, the written counterpart to ADEX's clinical exams. Directly comparable as the other national dental assessment developer, with content now partially integrated via the DLOSCE agreement.
• Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB): Co-administers the USMLE with NBME, the medical profession's licensure exam series. Directly parallel to ADEX as a national, state-board-accepted licensure assessment; same business model of testing-developer plus state-board-driven acceptance.
• National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN): Administers the NCLEX, the nursing profession's licensure exam, which is explicitly cited in ADEX materials as the structural parallel for dental licensure (national portability, state-board acceptance, single exam replacing state-specific tests). Same regulatory-driven monopoly model.
• National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME): Develops and co-administers the USMLE alongside FSMB. Comparable as a national assessment developer in an adjacent healthcare profession, with analogous psychometric, OSCE, and licensing-portability functions.
• American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT): Administers national certification examinations for radiologic technologists, with state-board acceptance governing practice. Closely analogous healthcare-profession licensure testing model with similar regulatory dependency and exam-portability dynamics.

Broad incumbents

• Educational Testing Service (ETS): Large, diversified standardized-testing organization (GRE, TOEFL, Praxis for educator licensing). Comparable as a national assessment developer/administrator with psychometric expertise, though broader in scope than ADEX's dental-specialized focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@adex-testing-media
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-commission-on-dental-competency-assessments

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The American Board of Dental Examiners