ADEX Exam Guide
The American Dental Examination — restorative procedures, OSCE stations, patient communication, scoring criteria, and fail points. Everything linked in one place.
What the ADEX tests
- Class II and Class III cavity preparations on live patients
- Provisional crown fabrication and evaluation
- Periodontal assessment — probing, calculus detection, and scaling
- OSCE stations — medical history review, radiology, emergencies, ethics, infection control
- Patient communication and consent
- Scoring rubrics and critical fail points across all sections
- Pharmacology essentials and emergency drug knowledge
5 tips for passing the ADEX
- Know the fail points before you start — one critical error can end your exam regardless of everything else.
- Practice Class II and Class III preps on typodonts under timed conditions — speed and precision both matter.
- OSCE stations are protocol-based — memorize the checklist structure, not paragraphs of theory.
- For the perio section, practice systematic probing and calling numbers out loud — examiners watch your technique.
- Emergency and pharmacology stations are high-yield — the drug kit contents and doses are finite and memorizable.
Restorative procedures
ADEX Class II Preparation
Step-by-step prep with ADEX-specific scoring criteria and common errors.
ADEX Class III Preparation
Anterior composite prep technique, access, and finishing for ADEX scoring.
ADEX Provisional Crown Preparation
Crown prep and provisional fabrication with margin and occlusion checkpoints.
Restorative Errors & Fail Points
The most common restorative mistakes and how to avoid them on exam day.
OSCE stations
ADEX OSCE Overview
Station types, timing, and how to approach each one systematically.
Medical History Review OSCE
How to review and flag medical conditions with dental relevance.
Emergencies OSCE
Emergency recognition and management protocols for the ADEX OSCE.
Radiology OSCE
Radiographic interpretation station — what to identify and how to present findings.
Ethics & Legal OSCE
Consent, confidentiality, and ethical scenarios tested in the ADEX.
Infection Control & PPE OSCE
Standard precautions, instrument processing, and PPE protocol.
Patient Communication OSCE
How to explain treatment, obtain consent, and handle difficult conversations.
Treatment Planning OSCE
Structuring a treatment plan under timed OSCE conditions.
Clinical knowledge
Periodontal Assessment OSCE
Probing technique, calculus detection, and scaling assessment for ADEX.
Local Anesthesia OSCE
Technique, dosage, and safety checks tested in the ADEX LA station.
Pharmacology Essentials
Key drugs, doses, interactions, and prescribing rules for the ADEX.
Emergency Drug Kit
What's in the kit, doses, and when to use each drug.
Radiographic Interpretation
Systematic approach to reading radiographs for the ADEX.
Common ADEX Viva Questions
Frequently asked viva questions with structured answer frameworks.