Integrated National Board Dental Examination

School of Dental Medicine Policy

The Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INDBE) is a national, standardized, comprehensive computer-based examination of a student’s knowledge in biomedical, behavioral, and clinical sciences relevant to dentistry. This examination does not necessarily reflect all of the teachings of an individual school, and sometimes may challenge students on content outside of the curriculum of a given school. Nonetheless, the examination is a measure of student progress as compared with other dental students nationally.

Passing the INBDE is a requirement for dental licensure in the United States. Within SDM, all predoctoral students (DMD & DMD Advanced Standing) must challenge the INBDE as a condition for graduation. The school prepares students to pass this examination as part of their dental curriculum. However, it is ultimately the responsibility of each student to direct and manage their learning efforts to prepare for the examination.

• Eligibility requirements for 4-year DMD students:
  • Successful completion of the DMD 3 year
  • Good academic standing
  • Passing final grades in courses related to the INBDE content areas (see below); students having final grades in content areas lower than C will be asked to spend additional time reviewing material before receiving authorization to schedule their exam

• Eligibility requirements for 2-year DMD Advanced Standing students:
  • Successful completion of the AS 1 year
  • Good academic standing
  • Passing final grades in courses related to the INBDE content areas (see below); students having final grades in content areas lower than C will be asked to spend additional time reviewing material before receiving authorization to schedule their exam

• Content/disciplines tested:
  • Molecular, biochemical, cellular, and systems-level development, structure and function
  • Physics and chemistry to explain normal biology and pathobiology
  • Physics and chemistry to explain the characteristics and use of technologies and materials
  • Principals of genetic, congenital, and developmental diseases and conditions and their clinical features to understand patient risk
  • Cellular and molecular bases of immune and non-immune host defense mechanisms
  • General and disease-specific pathology to assess patient risk
  • Biology of microorganisms in physiology and pathology
  • Pharmacology
  • Behavioral sciences, ethics, and jurisprudence
  • Research methodology and analysis, and informatics tools
  • Diagnosis and Treatment Planning
  • Oral Health Management
  • Practice and Profession

Additional information regarding eligibility requirements, deadlines, and study strategies is available from the SDM Academic Affairs office. Information about the application process can also be obtained from Academic Affairs or directly from the National Board website.