The ADA and the American Board of Dental Examiners finalized an agreement to incorporate the ADA's Dental Licensure Objective Structured Clinical Examination (DLOSCE) into the ADEX Dental Examination by August 1.
The change is designed to streamline licensure pathways and strengthen portability for dental candidates across the 48 states and jurisdictions that currently accept or require the ADEX exam.
The DLOSCE will replace the ADEX's existing DSE OSCE, adding image- and 3D model-based scenarios that reflect real-world practice while retaining the clinical hand-skills evaluation central to most U.S. licensure requirements, the ADA said in a news release.
After August 1, the DLOSCE will no longer be available as a standalone exam for new candidates. Candidates have until October 9, 2026, to retake the current standalone exam.
The agreement follows discussions among four dental organizations and comes amid broader consolidation in dental licensure testing, with CDCA-WREB-CITA and ADEX merging in September 2025.
