ADA Announces a Collaboration on Dental Hygiene Licensure
A press release announced some sort of joint agreement between the American Dental Association, Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, and American Board of Dental Examiners that invites more questions than provides answers.
On October 5, the American Dental Association (ADA), Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE), and American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX) noted they have begun “collaborative discussions” regarding changes to dental hygiene licensure assessment.
The ADA and ADEX have a longstanding relationship based on dental licensure assessment. Recently the ADA and JCNDE’s Dental Licensure Objective Structured Clinical Examination became part of the ADEX Dental Examination. So, are they hoping to repeat this strategy in dental hygiene licensure assessment? That remains unclear but JCNDE introduced the Dental Hygiene Licensure Objective Structured Clinical Examination in 2025 while ADEX provides dental hygiene licensing exams to state dental boards.
Notably, no mention is made of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association, although it represents dental hygienists on important issues including dental hygiene education and clinical competence. However, California is the only state in which dental hygienists are self-regulated.
It remains to be seen what lies ahead for dental hygiene licensure assessment. It seems that changes may be underway regarding licensure exam content, evaluation criteria, and candidate experience.
