NDEB

NDEB

ABOUT NDEB

National Dental Examining Board of Canada (NDEB) is the organization responsible for establishing and maintaining a national standard of competence for dentists in Canada.

The NDEB Equivalency Process includes three assessments.
Successful completion of the assessments allows individuals to participate in the NDEB Certification Process.
These three assessments include:

  • Assessment of Fundamental Knowledge

  • Assessment of Clinical Judgement

  • Assessment of Clinical Skills

Assessment of Fundamental Knowledge (AFK)

The AFK is administered in two books of 150 multiple-choice questions. Each book is given in three hour session. The sessions are held in the morning and afternoon of one day. Each question has value of one. The lowest score for any question is zero.

Content of Exam

Biomedical Sciences

Anatomy
Oral Microanatomy
Oral Embryology
Growth and Development
Physiology
Microbiology/Immunology
General Biochemistry/Cariology
Pathology/Medicine

20%

Applied Clinical Sciences

Pharmacology

13%

Orthodontics

6%

Pediatric Dentistry
Geriatric Dentistry
Special-Needs Patient

7%

Periodontics
Oral Facial Pain

6%

Endodontics
Dental Emergencies

6%

Oral Medicine/Oral Pathology
Radiology

6%

Scientific Literature
Health Promotion/Population Health
Relationship of General/Oral Health

2%

Local Anesthesia
Therapeutics
Medical Emergencies

6%

Oral Surgery
Trauma
Medical Emergencies

6%

Operative/Single Crown

11%

FPD/Removable/Implants
Dental Anatomy/Occlusion
Prevention
Infection Control

11%

TOTAL

100%

Scoring

A test equated, re-scaled score of 75 or greater is reported as PASS.

Repeats

A participant can take the Assessment of Fundamental Knowledge a maximum of three times.

ASSESSMENT OF CLINICAL JUDGEMENT (ACJ)

To participate in the Assessment of Clinical Judgement (ACJ), you must pass the Assessment of Fundamental Knowledge (AFK).

Format

The ACJ is a multiple choice style assessment. It consists of three books administered in a single day.

Content

Book 1 - Diagnosis, Treatment Planning and Clinical Decision Making
These components contain single answer and extended match type questions that evaluate your ability to formulate a diagnosis and to make clinical decisions.  Case histories, dental charts and photographs may be provided for patients of all ages, including those with special needs.

Book 2 - Radiographic Interpretation
Using prints of radiographs, this extended match multiple choice component evaluates your knowledge in oral radiology and ability to make a radiographic interpretation and diagnosis.

Assessment of Clinical Skills (ACS)

Format

The ACS is a two-day assessment during which you perform a series of dental procedures on simulated patients (manikins) in a clinical setting.

Each day you will receive:

  • A typodont, labelled with your ID number mounted in a manikin on a dental chair.

  • A list of teeth for practice preparations.

  • A detailed list of required procedures specifying tooth numbers and surfaces.

  • A Participant Communication form which may be used to provide comments to Evaluators.

You will also receive a scheduled time to perform the Rubber Dam Requirement.

Content

During the assessment, you will be required to perform the following:

  • Class II amalgam preparation.

  • Class III composite resin preparation.

  • Full metal crown preparation.

  • Metal-ceramic (porcelain fused to metal) crown preparation.

  • Endodontic access preparation on a molar tooth.

  • Direct Class II composite resin restoration on a pre-prepared* tooth

  • Direct Class IV composite resin restoration on a pre-prepared* tooth

  • Class II amalgam restoration on a pre-prepared* tooth.

  • Provisional crown restoration for a pre-prepared* metal-ceramic (porcelain fused to metal) crown preparation on Day 2 of the assessment. The original unprepared tooth will be in the typodont used on Day 1 of the assessment.

  • Rubber dam application