A comparison of current Orthodontic Board examinations

Area of Science:

• Orthodontics
• Dental Education
• Professional Standards

Background:

• Orthodontic clinical Board examinations are crucial for professional credentialing.
• Evaluating these examinations is essential for understanding their impact on practice.
• Variations in examination structures may reflect diverse professional society objectives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically compare five orthodontic clinical Board examinations.
• To critically evaluate the procedures, characteristics, and requirements of these assessments.
• To identify commonalities and divergences among leading orthodontic Board certifications.

Main Methods:

• Systematic comparison of five distinct orthodontic clinical Board examinations.
• Critical analysis of examination protocols, assessment criteria, and candidate prerequisites.
• Comparative evaluation of examination content and scoring methodologies.

Main Results:

• Significant similarities were identified across the evaluated orthodontic Board examinations.
• Key differences were observed, potentially linked to the socio-political aims of organizing professional societies.
• A universal objective of establishing high clinical treatment standards was evident.

Conclusions:

• Despite structural variations, orthodontic Board examinations share fundamental goals.
• Differences in examination requirements may be attributed to the specific missions of professional orthodontic organizations.
• All examined Boards strive to enhance the overall quality of orthodontic clinical practice.