National Dental Examining

Board of Canada
Overview

• Background Information
• NDEB Equivalency Process for
Graduates of non Accredited Programs
• Results
• Benefits and Challenges
10 Provincial Licensing Authorities
NDEB of Canada

1952 Act of Parliament

• Establishing qualifying conditions for a
national standard of competence for
general dental practitioners
• Issuing certificates to dentists who meet
the standard.
• Not for profit
NDEB of Canada

12 Board Members
- 1 appointed by each of 10 Provincial
Boards
- 2 approved by Commission on Dental
Accreditation
Eligibility for NDEB Certification

• Graduate from an Accredited Program

OR

• Complete NDEB Equivalency Process

Reciprocity Agreements

• Between the Commission on

Accreditation of Canada and equivalent
authority
• Bonafide, in depth, ongoing knowledge
of the systems in both countries
- therefore expensive
• Mutual recognition of each others
accredited programs
NDEB Certification Process
1997 to 2010
Graduates of Graduates
Accredited Non-accredited
Programs Programs

ACFD Eligibility Exam

Qualifying
Program at
accredited
Written and OSCE school

Certified and Portable

NDEB Certification Process

Graduates of
Accredited
Programs

Written and OSCE

Certified and Portable

NDEB Certification Process

Graduates of Graduates of
Accredited Non-accredited
Programs Programs

NDEB
Equivalency
Process

Written and OSCE

Certified and Portable

NDEB Certification Process

Graduates of Graduates of
Accredited Non-accredited
Programs Programs

NDEB
Qualifying Equivalency
Program at Process
Accredited school

Written and OSCE

Certified and Portable

NDEB Certification Process

Graduates of Graduates of
Accredited Non-accredited
Programs Programs

NDEB
Qualifying Equivalency
Program at Process
Accredited school

Written and OSCE

Certified and Portable

 Process for graduates of
Non Accredited Dental Programs
 NDEB Equivalency Process
Graduates of
Non-accredited Programs

Application and Credential

Verification Qualifying
Program at
Accredited school
Assessment of Fundamental
Knowledge

Assessment of Clinical Judgement

Written and OSCE
and
Assessment of Clinical Skills

Certified and Portable

Application and
Credential Verification

• Application must be done online

• Application fee $800 (non refundable)
paid online with a credit card
• Specific required documentation
verified by NDEB staff including an
independent verification of graduation
directly from dental program
Assessment of Fundamental
Knowledge

• 1 day - 300 multiple choice questions.

• Registration fee $700
• Administered in February and August at
multiple sites in Canada and one in UK and
Hong Kong.
• Qualifying/Degree Completion programs
AFK as admission test.
Assessment of Clinical Judgement

• 1 day -3 parts (2 case-based and 1

Radiology) with extended match questions
• Registration fee $1200
• Administered in June immediately before the
ACS and in December.
 Question: 3 (select one or more correct answers.)
There is radiographic evidence of calculus on the

+.25 A. distal of tooth 1.8 -1 G. distal of tooth 1.5

-1 B. mesial of tooth 1.8
(0) C. distal of tooth 1.7
-1 D. mesial of tooth 1.7
+.25 E. distal of tooth 1.6
-1 F. mesial of tooth 1.6
+.25 H. mesial of tooth 1.5
+.25I. distal of tooth 1.4
-1 J. mesial of tooth 1.4
-1 K. distal of tooth 1.3
Assessment of Clinical Skills

• 2 days - 12 requirements performed in a

simulated clinical setting (manikins)
• Registration fee $5000
• Administered in June at 9 Canadian
Faculties of Dentistry.
Assessment of Clinical Skills

Kilgore (Nissan)
manikin
series 200 typodont
with layered teeth
Results
Number of applicants

• 2011 1386
• 2012 1282
• 2013 1224
• 2014 1116
• Total 5008
104 Different Countries

• INDIA 1315
• IRAN 422
• PHILLIPINES 395
• EGYPT 350
• IRAQ 218
• PAKISTAN 179
• CHINA 131
• COLOMBIA 106
104 Different Countries

• SYRIA 100
• UAE 70
• KOREA 66
• BRAZIL 65
• ROMANIA 60
• UKRAINE 59
• RUSSIA 54
• UNITED KINGDOM 53
• VENEZUELA 53
Results of AFK

2011 2012 2013

# Participants 821 1125 1187

# Pass 359 405 499
Range 32-95 28-94 27-95
KR 20 .97 .96 .96
Results of ACS

2011 2012 2013

# Participants 266 359 484

# Pass 57 129 124
Results of ACJ

2011 2012 2013

# Participants 289 373 490

# Pass 144 243 291
Overall results

2011 2012 2013

Took all parts 247 ?? ??
Pass 44 127 125
Admitted QP/DC 75 76 75
119 203 200
New Dentists in Canada 2009

Canadian DDS/DMD* 425 (69%)

US 116 (18%)
QP/DC Programs 75 (12%)
Total 616
New Dentists in Canada 2012

Canadian DDS/DMD* 445 (54%)

US, NZ and Australian* 170 (21%)
QP/DC Programs 76 (9%)
Equivalency Process 130 (16%)
Total 821

*best estimates
Benefits and Challenges

• Alternative assessment process

• Maintained successful degree
completion programs
• Time and expense ($7700)
• Examination error
• Sampling of competencies
• Potential difficulty getting/maintaining
a position