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Recertification Exam Information

ABOM Diplomates are expected to conduct continuous professional education in the area of oral medicine. All Diplomates are required to maintain Continuing Education (CE) at 35 CE for any given past three-year period. All Diplomates may be audited at any given time at random to ensure that this level of CE is being maintained.

In addition, ABOM Diplomates are required to recertify every ten years based on the date they passed the ABOM Board examination, or the most recent passing of the re-certification examination. Eligible diplomates will be sent a notice by ABOM to begin the re-certification process at the beginning of the tenth year since last certification.

 

Recertification Components
1. ABOM Diplomate status must be active status (fees paid).
2. Hold a current license to practice dentistry in any state or territory of the United States or in any nation with equivalent standards.
3. Moral and ethical standing satisfactory to the Board.
4. Membership in an appropriate Oral Medicine Organization
5. Submit 35 CE units for the past three years.
6. Pass the recertification examination.

 

Application Process
1. Diplomates will receive a letter from ABOM notifying them that it is time to recertify.

2. Diplomates must submit evidence of having achieved a total of 35 CE hours in continuing education related to oral medicine as a specialty during the preceding three years. For example, if recertifying in 2025, evidence must be submitted from years 2022-2024. Please submit evidence for each claimed point as a single combined PDF document uploaded with the application. CE certificates are typically used. 

Points are awarded for the activities listed below:

  • 1 point for each ‘Continuing Education’ hour
  • 1 point for a scientific or clinical presentation
  • 1 point for a published abstract as part of a scientific meeting 
  • 1 point for presenting a poster at a scientific meeting
  • 2 points for publishing a peer-reviewed article
  • 2 points for publishing a chapter in an oral medicine textbook
  • 2 points per year for a part-time faculty appointment (0.1-0.3 FTE)
  • 4 points per year for a part-time faculty appointment (0.4-0.6 FTE)
  • 6 points per year for a part-time faculty appointment (0.7-0.9 FTE)
  • 8 points per year for a full-time faculty appointment
  • 10 points for publishing an oral medicine book

3. Pay the recertification fee (see below, subject to change).
Re-Certification Fees:
Initial Application fee $350.00 USD
Re-take of Re-Certification (for first two retakes) $200.00 USD
Re-take of Re-Certification (more than 2 retakes) $350.00 USD 

4. The completed application is then sent to the Board for review. Once approved by the Board, Diplomates will receive a confirmation email with instructions to access the online testing system, Classmarker, to complete the ABOM Re-certification exam.

5. The re-certification is open resource (honor code): books, journals and websites may be used by the examinee.

6. A passing grade on the recertification examination is 70%.

7. Grading will be performed by the software, and all examinees will be notified by the ABOM Secretary of their grade within 30 days of taking the re-examination via e-mail. The certificate will be sent to the examinee from the ABOM office.

8. If a diplomate does not pass the re-certification examination, then they have two opportunities to retake the exam and they must wait a minimum of month before retaking the exam. (see Examination fee)

 

Recertification Examination Content & Format

The goal of the board re-examination is to fairly and accurately periodically re-test current knowledge of practicing Diplomates, pertinent to patient care in Oral Medicine as it is practiced in the USA. Diplomates are expected to maintain expert knowledge in the same domains as the ABOM Qualifying Examination and Oral Clinical Cases Examination.

The exam consists of questions on the topics of:
1. Laboratory Evaluation/Diagnostics in Oral Maxillofacial Radiology and Oral Pathology
2. Medically Compromised Patients
3. Orofacial Pain
4. Pharmacology and Evidence-Based Therapies
5. Mucosal and Salivary Gland Disease

The examination construction is similar to that of Qualifying Examination in terms of content and weighting, with a total of 55 questions (10-15 questions per section).

 

Apply for Recertification