Spanning nearly 60 years, the American Board of Dental Examiners’ rich history is a reflection of the efforts of state boards from across the US and beyond to ensure that qualified dentists and dental hygienists provide safe care to the citizens they serve by demonstrating entry-level competency.
Initial attempts to create standards for the licensure of dentistry date to the late 1800s and early 1920s. In the early days, states with resources chose to develop their own licensure examinations.
On April 6, 2020, the American Board of Dental Examiners approved the use of a brand new, patented simulated tooth for Restorative procedures in the ADEX Dental Exam. The tooth revolutionized the exam experience and, in less than a year, became the go-to solution not only for COVID-period examinations but also for long-term approval as an alternative to patient-based testing. The tooth was called the
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Two votes finalized talks to merge the two largest dental testing organizations in the Summer of 2021.
WREB met on July 21, and the CDCA’s General Assembly met on August 3rd to unanimously approve the Plan of Merger and a new Constitution and Bylaws. A joint press release proclaimed, “Effective immediately, the new organization will be known as CDCA-WREB. Together, the agency will simplify the needs of boards, licensure candidates, and schools as we continue to serve the oral health professions.”
Almost exactly a year after CDCA-WREB was formed, the organization announced another historic merger, this time with CITA.
CDCA-WREB-CITA would deliver only ADEX examinations, and now nearly every US state would have an active voice in the test-delivery agency. The number of examiners grew to nearly 1,300 current and former state board members and dental/dental hygiene educators. The organization would move ahead to make ADEX the National Exam Standard.
Operating separately as developer and administrator for nearly two decades, the leadership of both ADEX and CDCA-WREB-CITA sought to work together to focus on further streamlining exam development and delivery, strengthening national and international relationships, and ensuring that every component of the dental licensure process, from scoring to candidate experience, reflects the highest standards of fairness, competence, and public protection. ADEX and CDCA-WREB-CITA merged and took the name American Board of Dental Examiners on September 1, 2025.
The new ADEX General Assembly and Council on Examinations met for the first time in-person, on October 16, 2025.
By the end of the year, ADEX was required or recognized by law for licensure in nearly every U.S. jurisdiction, including the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, and was growing internationally, with exam locations in Mexico, Canada, Jamaica, and a new planned expansion into Saudi Arabia.