American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

What American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery does

The American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (ABOMS) is the sole certifying board for the oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) specialty in the United States, recognized and approved by the Council on Dental Education of the American Dental Association. Founded in 1945 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, ABOMS administers the Qualifying Examination and the Oral Certifying Examination (OCE), certifies surgeons who meet established standards of training, education, and professionalism, and operates a Certification Maintenance Program for ongoing diplomate status. Its products include Board Certification, Verification Status services for credentialing agencies and hospitals, Certificates of Added Qualifications (CAQ) in subspecialty areas such as oncologic and craniomaxillofacial surgery, a Find A Diplomate public directory, and Digital Badges for electronic credential sharing.

ABOMS's underlying technology is a web-based portal that handles examination applications, candidate registration, diplomate profile management, certification verification, and digital badge issuance, supported by a small administrative staff of 1-10 employees. The organization partners with AAOMS, ADA, ACGME, CODA, OMSNIC, and NBME to advance the specialty, including active exploration of dual accreditation pathways for OMS residency programs.

The business model is a non-profit certification fee structure. Revenue is generated through examination application fees, annual registration fees for diplomates, Certification Maintenance Program fees, and a transaction-based $75-per-letter verification service for credentialing agencies, hospitals, and patients. Customer segments include OMS surgeons pursuing initial certification, certified ABOMS diplomates maintaining their credentials, and downstream credentialing agencies, hospitals, insurance companies, and members of the public verifying surgeon status. Marketing and outreach are conducted through The Diplomate Newsletter, an ABOMS news section, an annual gala in Washington D.C., and engagement with AAOMS and related professional organizations rather than consumer-facing channels.

Name

American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Legal name

American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Website

https://aboms.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (ABOMS) is the sole U.S. certifying board for the OMS specialty, recognized by the ADA. Founded in 1945 and headquartered in Chicago, it administers qualifying and oral certifying examinations and maintains certification programs for surgeons.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Medical Certification Services

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDADAFAA

National/State Examination Boards & Testing Agencies

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Assessment, Examinations & Qualifications Authorities

SECONDARYEDADAFAD

Professional & Occupational Licensing Examination Authorities

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Assessment, Examinations & Qualifications Authorities

SECONDARYEDAAANAI

Healthcare & Clinical Professional Certifications

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Certification Programs

SECONDARYEDADAFAH

Test Administration, Proctoring & Security Authorities

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Assessment, Examinations & Qualifications Authorities

Keywords

• Professional board certification
• Oral surgery examinations
• Medical credential verification
• Diplomate certification programs
• Healthcare certification body

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Certification and Examination Fees: Revenue is generated through examination application fees, annual registration fees for diplomates, and certification maintenance program fees. The organization also charges for verification letters confirming a surgeon's board certification status.
2. Verification Services: Credentialing agencies and hospitals pay $75 per verification letter to confirm a surgeon's board certification status. This is a transaction-based revenue stream for providing formal documentation on ABOMS letterhead.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ABOMS administers board certification for oral and maxillofacial surgeons in the United States through a two-stage examination process (Qualifying Examination and Oral Certifying Examination), followed by ongoing Certification Maintenance requirements. It also issues Certificates of Added Qualifications in specialized areas and provides credential verification services to hospitals, credentialing agencies, and members of the public.

Product overview

The American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (ABOMS) operates a unified certification platform for oral and maxillofacial surgery professionals. The core offering is the Board Certification program, which consists of the Qualifying Examination and Oral Certifying Examination (OCE), followed by ongoing Certification Maintenance requirements. Supporting services include Verification Status for credentialing purposes, a Find A Diplomate public directory, Digital Badges for electronic credential sharing, and Certificates of Added Qualifications (CAQ) in specialized areas such as oncologic surgery and cleft/craniomaxillofacial care. The organization also provides CBSSA practice test vouchers to support dental students pursuing OMS careers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Qualifying Examination The first stage of ABOMS Board Certification testing for oral and maxillofacial surgeons, designed for candidates who have completed an accredited OMS residency.
• Oral Certifying Examination (OCE) The second stage of Board Certification testing, administered centrally in Raleigh, North Carolina, where candidates demonstrate clinical competence in oral and maxillofacial surgery.
• Board Certification in OMS The unified certification program ensuring oral and maxillofacial surgeons meet ABOMS standards of training, education, and professionalism through completion of the Qualifying Examination and Oral Certifying Examination.
• ABOMS Certification Maintenance Ongoing program requiring certified Diplomates to maintain their ABOMS certification through continuous education and compliance with ABOMS standards.
• Certificates of Added Qualifications (CAQ) Specialized certifications issued in Oral/Head and Neck Oncologic and Reconstructive Surgery and Cleft and Craniomaxillofacial Surgery for qualified ABOMS Diplomates.
• Verification Status Service A service that allows credentialing agencies, hospitals, and members of the public to verify a surgeon's ABOMS Board Certification status, generating official documentation on ABOMS letterhead at $75 per verification letter.
• Find A Diplomate Directory Public directory allowing patients and employers to locate board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeons.

Quantifiable outcome

• 270 new Diplomates welcomed in 2026 OCE cohort
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and moderate.

• American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026ABOMS coordinates with AAOMS leadership including joint meetings such as the AAOMS Board of Trustees meeting in Big Sky, Montana. The organizations share insights and coordinate efforts to advance the OMS specialty. AAOMS is a key stakeholder in ABOMS strategic planning processes.
• American Dental Association (ADA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABOMS is recognized and approved by the ADA's Council on Dental Education. ADA representatives participated in ABOMS strategic planning sessions to align Board priorities. The ADA recognition provides regulatory legitimacy for ABOMS certification.
• Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABOMS is actively working with ACGME to explore dual accreditation for the OMS specialty. ACGME has convened a task force specifically examining the pathway forward for this initiative.
• Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABOMS is working with CODA alongside ACGME to explore dual accreditation pathways for oral and maxillofacial surgery residency programs.
• OMSNIC (OMS National Insurance Company)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerOMSNIC leadership participated in joint meetings with ABOMS and AAOMS at the AAOMS Board of Trustees meeting to coordinate efforts for specialty advancement.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Board of Pediatric Dentistry: ADA-recognized board certifying pediatric dentists through written and oral examinations plus ongoing maintenance, sharing ABOMS's revenue mix of exam fees, annual registration, and verification services.
• American Board of Orthodontics: The certifying board for orthodontists with a nearly identical structure to ABOMS: qualifying exam, clinical/oral exam, certification maintenance, and verification services for diplomates.
• American Board of Endodontics: Another ADA-recognized dental specialty certifying board that administers written and oral examinations and maintenance programs to endodontists, mirroring ABOMS's candidate-to-diplomate lifecycle and revenue model.
• American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology: An ADA-recognized dental specialty certifying board in a closely adjacent OMS-adjacent discipline, with an analogous candidate-and-diplomate business model and ADA Council on Dental Education recognition.
• American Board of Prosthodontics: ADA-recognized specialty board for prosthodontists administering written and oral examinations plus maintenance requirements; directly comparable scope, candidate pool, and operating model to ABOMS.
• American Board of Periodontology: ADA-recognized certifying board for periodontists that runs comparable qualifying and oral examinations, certification maintenance, and verification services for a similarly sized dental specialty.

Others

• National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME): Not-for-profit that develops and administers standardized medical exams; ABOMS already partners with NBME for CBSSA voucher distribution, making it an adjacent enabling/administrative peer in the examination ecosystem.
• Joint Commission (Healthcare Credentialing): Sets healthcare accreditation standards and consumes verification data for credentialing; relevant as an ecosystem participant that interacts with ABOMS verification services to validate surgeon credentials.

Broad incumbents

• American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS): Umbrella organization for US medical specialty boards, providing accreditation and shared infrastructure for certifying boards — comparable as an industry-level incumbent governing specialty certification.
• American Board of Surgery: Larger medical specialty board with a much higher-volume candidate pool and similar certifying functions (qualifying exam, certifying exam, maintenance, verification), serving as a broad-incumbent benchmark for scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ABOMS
• Facebookfacebook.com/ABOMSurgery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-board-of-oral-and-maxillofacial-surgery-aboms

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery