American Dental Association and American Board of Dental Examiners Announce Collaboration to Advance Dental Hygiene Licensure

CHICAGO, Oct. 5, 2026 — The American Dental Association (ADA), the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE) and the American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX) have begun collaborative discussions focused on advancing dental hygiene licensure assessment, in service to the public’s health.

This work builds on the organizations’ recent collaboration to advance dental licensure assessment through the incorporation of the ADA and JCNDE’s Dental Licensure Objective Structured Clinical Examination (DLOSCE) into the ADEX Dental Examination. In the same spirit, the ADA and ADEX are exploring opportunities to support dental hygiene licensure by strengthening alignment in examination content, evaluation methods, and candidate experience, thereby advancing candidate assessment to assist state boards in their mission to protect the public.

“The ADA is committed to supporting licensure approaches that put patient safety first and are rigorous, fair, and responsive to the needs of the oral health workforce,” said Richard Rosato, D.D.S., ADA President. “Our recent work with ADEX to incorporate the DLOSCE into the ADEX Dental Examination demonstrated what is possible when organizations align around public protection, candidate assessment, and licensure mobility. We look forward to continuing that collaboration in support of dental hygiene licensure.”

ADEX Chair Mark Armstrong, D.D.S. added, “ADEX’s responsibility to state dental boards extends across the oral health professions, including both dentistry and dental hygiene. As we have done with the ADEX Dental Examination and the DLOSCE, our goal is to advance dental hygiene licensure assessment while preserving the clinical standards and public protection priorities that are central to our mission.”

The ADA and ADEX anticipate continued engagement over the coming months as both organizations explore best practices and potential opportunities to support consistent, modern, and defensible dental hygiene licensure examination standards in service to the public health.

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About the American Dental Association
The not-for-profit ADA is the nation's largest dental association, representing 152,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance has long been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA), published monthly, is the ADA's flagship publication and the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more information about the ADA, visit ADA.org. For more information on oral health, including prevention, care and treatment of dental disease, visit the ADA's consumer website MouthHealthy.org.

About the American Board of Dental Examiners
The American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting dental boards in their mission to protect the public through the licensure of qualified oral health professionals. Established in 1969, ADEX administers independent competency examinations developed and approved by representatives of state dental boards. ADEX examinations are accepted or required by law in 51 U.S. jurisdictions and serve as the initial licensure pathway for 98% of dental and 85% of dental hygiene candidates nationwide. Through ongoing collaboration with dental boards and educators, ADEX continues to advance innovative, evidence-based assessment methods that uphold the highest standards of fairness, clinical competence, and public protection. Learn more at adextesting.org.