NATIONAL MEETINGS

ASDA’s Annual Session

"Brings together student leaders from all 62 US dental schools. Highlights of this meeting include an exhibit fair to meet vendors and make valuable contacts; prominent speakers within dentistry addressing hot topics; awards recognizing the achievements of our chapters and our members; the business meeting of the House of Delegates; and elections of our national leaders. The meeting culminates with a celebration at the themed dinner dance. This meeting is the high point of the ASDA year!"

National Dental Student Lobby Day

Students visit Capitol Hill to advocate on behalf of themselves and their patients. This unique experience gives ASDA members the opportunity to meet with lawmakers and staff to discuss the issues that will impact the education and training of dental students and future dentists. A portion of National Dental Student Lobby Day includes a full day of training on the issues and policies that are up for discussion with lawmakers and their staffs. ASDA works to ensure all dental students are prepared to discuss these issues at length with anyone from a legislative aide, to the chief of staff, to potentially the Congressperson themselves.

Among other things, dental schools and their students represent innovation, scientific research, education, and jobs. Additionally, a dental student’s narrative can be highly influential. Persuading decision-makers requires making a connection, using the human touch that was honed in the dental clinic. Real issues, such as finding a job after graduation or paying off substantial student debt, are both compelling and validate a need for action.

National Leadership Conference

Provides leadership training to dental students across all years. Attendees can create customized schedules based on their personal knowledge, experience, and interests, in order to benefit them as dental students and future practitioners, as well as leaders in organized dentistry.

NATIONAL DENTAL BOARD EXAM

NBDE PART I OFFICIAL INFORMATION

  • NBDE Part I 2023 Guide: "This document is the official guide to policies for the NBDE Part I. It provides fundamental information about application and testing procedures as well as examination content and scoring".
  • NBDE Part I FAQ: Questions regarding the NBDE Part I? Check out this FAQ!
  • NBDE Part I – Get Started: Start the process and obtain your DENTPIN!

NBDE PART I STUDY MATERIAL

  • Dental Decks Part I: Over 1000 flashcards on all topics on the NBDE Part I.
  • First Aid for the NBDE Part I: "A concise review for the exam, containing hundreds of high-yield facts and mnemonics, with over 200 photos and illustrations".
  • NBDE Reprints: "Reprints of actual past examinations are available for Part I and Part II, in addition to a pilot exam featuring a comprehensive format and multiple-choice items in the traditional Part I discipline".

NBDE PART II OFFICIAL INFORMATION

  • NBDE Part II 2023 Guide: "This document is the official guide to policies for the NBDE Part II. It provides fundamental information about application and testing procedures as well as examination content and scoring".
  • NBDE Part II FAQ: Questions regarding the NBDE Part II? Check out this FAQ!

NBDE PART II STUDY MATERIAL

  • Dental Decks Part II: Over 1500 flashcards on all topics on the NBDE Part II.
  • First Aid for the NBDE Part II: "This high-yield, comprehensive review of topics examined on the NBDE Part II is written for dental students by recent dental graduates who aced the boards".
  • NBDE Reprints: "Reprints of actual past examinations are available for Part I and Part II, in addition to a pilot exam featuring a comprehensive format and multiple-choice items in the traditional Part I discipline".

LICENSURE

REQUIREMENTS

Licensure is the process whereby a state grants dentists the legal authority to practice dentistry. The current system of licensure exams has been controversial. According to the American Dental Education Association, "ethical and practical questions about the use of human subjects, regional variations in examinations and results, and the reliability and validity of the exams have been some of the sources of concern".

Each state sets its own licensure requirements (visit ASDA Licensure to learn more). There is no universal licensure exam (getting licensed in your state doesn’t guarantee the ability to practice in another state). Although specifics vary, all states have three requirements:

  1. Educational: All states’ educational requirements are satisfied by graduation from a dental school accredited by the ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation.
  2. Written: All licensing boards use the National Board Dental Examinations to satisfy a major portion of their written exam requirements. The National Board Examination Parts I and II are developed and administered by the ADA’s Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations. The actual exams are conducted by regional or state examining boards.
  3. Clinical: Clinical exam requirements vary. Most candidates who do not achieve licensure on their first attempt fail in some aspect of the clinical exam. Currently, only two jurisdictions administer their own clinical exams (Delaware and Virgin Islands). The remaining boards contract that responsibility to one of the five regional testing agencies: Council of Interstate Testing Agencies (CITA), Central Regional Testing Service (CRDTS), Southern Regional Testing Agency (SRTA), North East Regional Board of Dental Examiners (NERB), and Western Regional Examining Board (WREB). States accept results of examinations administered by one or more testing agencies of which they are not a member. Review the licensure laws and regulations from the individual state board websites for real-time information about which exams are accepted where licensure is sought. A summary is available on the ADA’s website.