ADEX Brings Consistency
Dentistry is no different in one part of the country than another. There should be no difference in the standards of dentistry from one part of the country to another.
ADEX Brings Unity
ADEX is dedicated to developing a uniform national dental and dental hygiene clinical licensure examination for the sole use by States Boards of Dentistry.
ADEX Brings Portability
With uniform standards and qualifications, a properly licensed dentist or a dental hygienist should be able to practice in any state of the country.
“The Mission of ADEX is to develop clinical licensure exams for dental professionals.“
The President’s Message
Welcome to the American Board of Dental Examiners, Inc. (ADEX), the only exam development corporation in the country who’s membership are States Boards of Dentistry and who’s only responsibility is to create a uniform national dental and dental hygiene licensure examination to be administered by Regional or independent testing agencies for the sole purpose of assessing the competency of candidates for licensure assuring States Boards of dentistry that successful completion of the examination will insure a level of competency that promotes public protection.
This is an intriguing yet exciting time for dental licensure examinations in that there is an atmosphere of change in the process of development and administration of patient based examinations. For years there has been constant challenges to the process of clinical based licensure examinations in dentistry and dental hygiene; from the administration of multiple different regional licensure examinations to the ethical use of patients to the cost of dental education and how all of these impact the dental candidate and their immediate future. ADEX has approached all of these challenges in its exam development and process. ADEX came to be because we believe that dentistry is no different in Maine as it is in Hawaii and so why should there be multiple different dental licensure examinations. We have one exam, developed by states dental boards to evaluate the competency of candidates seeking licensure, administered by regional or independent testing agencies. This creates licensure portability throughout the country allowing the new dentist unrestricted access to the best opportunities for their future and financial security.
We are a unique profession with unique qualities and modalities that require innovative and unique assessment processes that must adhere to the guidelines of test design and administration, yet is limited to the level of technology. Long story short, as any one of these above parameters changes, so does the exam. The only way to create consistency and reliability of an exam is by a uniform national exam administered uniformly throughout the country in a process that utilizes the ethical use of live patients in a format accepted by educational institutions and organized dentistry.
Innovative design in the delivery of the ADEX examination incorporates the Dental Educational Institutions, its patients of record and candidates to accomplish an exam process that takes into consideration all the issues of live patient examinations and creates a cohesive exam process by which educators can assess, patients are treated in their normal treatment plan and candidates are assessed by third party evaluators all within the same setting allowing for a smooth and collaborative arrangement satisfactory to educators, candidates and above all the patient. This then assures the states boards of dentistry a truly collaborative, consistent and competent assessment of potential licensees. How exciting a time being able to look at the real possibility of a uniform national dental and dental hygiene licensure examination. All that is needed is support, support from States Boards of Dentistry, from organized dentistry, from dental educators and especially from dental candidates for licensure.
ADEX is an organization that is governed by States Boards of Dentistry. Member States of ADEX send representatives from their board of dentistry to represent them in the governance of ADEX and to the myriad of committees, subcommittees and Ad Hoc committees that create the essence of ADEX. The success of ADEX is due to the hard work of these representatives who volunteer their valuable time and effort to a process that they strongly believe in. ADEX and our member States Boards truly appreciate all the efforts put forth by these individuals. We hope you appreciate our efforts. You have our commitment that ADEX will continue to strive to develop the best initial licensure examination in dentistry and dental hygiene that will be accepted in 53 US states and jurisdictions allowing for one uniform national dental and dental hygiene licensure examination.
Aloha, Stanwood H. Kanna, DDS President, American Board of Dental Examiners, Inc. (ADEX)
