Who Can Examine?
Dental and Dental Hygiene professionals act as examiners for ADEX in the delivery and grading of assessments nationwide.
There are two pathways to becoming an examiner. Examiners must either be State dental board members or approved consultants. Each plays a critical role by participating in the examination administration process. All examiners participate in rigorous standardization and calibration exercises to ensure that examinations are administered and scored uniformly and in accordance with established guidelines.
“This perspective has been valuable in my role on the state board when we’re thinking about licensure standards and our responsibility to protect the public. You see firsthand how licensure candidates’ clinical judgment, fine motor skills come together in treatment. The ADEX exam experience reinforced for me why competency-based assessment still matters.” ~Dr. Jones, ADEX Dental Examiner | Current State Board Member
“National board exams in dentistry and dental hygiene are crucial for public safety. Serving on the State Dental Board and having been an educator has impressed upon me the magnitude of the clinical exams as well as the training and calibration with the examiners. The abilities of future dentists and dental hygienists must be tested to protect the public.” ~Vicki P. RDH, ADEX Dental Hygiene Examiner | Former State Board Member
“As an experienced ADEX examiner/consultant, as well as being a dental educator for 22 years, I understand the importance of bringing guidance and mentoring to our pre-doctoral students as they prepare for this licensing examination. My participation in administering the ADEX examination has also provided guidance to our faculty to calibrate them as graders for our MOCK ADEX exam. For students to navigate this examination, the experience as an ADEX Examiner has allowed me to share the criteria of this examination with my students and to clarify any questions they may have about the exam workflow. Examining at other dental schools has also allowed me the opportunity to observe how others prepare their students for this examination and has aided me in how we approach our student readiness in our own curriculum”. Dr. Dan B. | ADEX Examiner and Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs/Clinical Faculty/ADEX Site Coordinator
State Board Members
Participation in the American Board of Dental Examiners allows regulators to uphold public protection and contribute to national consistency in dental and dental hygiene competency standards. Engagement ensures that the licensure pathways align with real-world practice, regulatory priorities, and evolving standards of care. Examiners who have served on the board of dentistry of their state may continue to examine after their terms have expired, provided they maintain a full, active license in good standing.
If you are a current state board member and wish to become an examiner, click the button below to let us know.
Consultant Examiners
Dentists and dental hygienists who have not served on a board of dentistry may apply to become Consultant Examiners. Applicants may work in private practice or serve as educators in dental or dental hygiene programs.
Eligibility
To be eligible, applicants must hold an active, unrestricted license in good standing to practice dentistry or dental hygiene and must have completed at least five years of active clinical practice after graduating from dental school or completing a specialty degree program. Consultant Examiners are appointed for one year and considered annually for reappointment. Consultant Examiners may serve on committees where permitted but may not vote or hold office within the organization.
Application Guidelines
Applicants must provide their license information and name a current ADEX examiner as their referral. Each application must include a current CV and two letters of recommendation. One letter must be from the referring ADEX examiner. For an educator applicant, the second letter must be from the department chair at the applicant’s school; for a private-practice applicant, the second letter must be from a professional reference.
Application Timeline and Participation Guidelines
Applications are accepted annually from November through December 31. Internal review and recommendations for approval take place from January through May, and applicant notifications are sent in June. If approved, new consultants must comply with non-disclosure requirements, disclose conflicts of interest, and participate actively in the examination process as defined by the member participation policy, including accepting and fulfilling two assignments per year when selected.
(Application link coming soon.)
