American Board of Orthodontics

The American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) was founded in 1929 as the first specialty board in dentistry, and is the global leader in orthodontic board certification. The American Board of Orthodontics partners with the American Association of Orthodontists and is recognized by the National Commission on Recognition of Dental Specialties and Certifying Boards as the national certifying board for Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics.

The ABO sets the standard for the highest level of patient care and promotes excellence in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics for all of its certified orthodontists. As a specialty board, we serve to protect the orthodontic specialty and encourage orthodontists to achieve certification, demonstrating their commitment to lifelong learning and excellent care.

Certification testing windows

Demo Exams

Preview the item functionality in the Written Examination using the ABO Written Examination Demo.

Preview the item functionality in the Clinical Examination using the ABO Scenario Based Clinical Examination Demo.

Scheduling

First-time examinees need to create a Pearson VUE web account. Exam appointments will be pre-scheduled at a Pearson Professional test center close to the preferred location provided to ABO. This appointment will be set before registration opens with Pearson VUE. Once the appointment is scheduled, Pearson VUE will send a confirmation e-mail with details including the exam date, time, address, test center phone number, and directions.

If an ABO examinee needs to reschedule their appointment, they can do so through their Pearson VUE web account after registration opens with Pearson VUE. It is recommended that any re-scheduling of appointment is done as soon as possible as appointments fill up quickly.

Accommodations

In compliance with Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) is committed to providing reasonable accommodations, including appropriate auxiliary aids, to examinees with disabilities. The ABO ensures that its examinations are conducted in accessible facilities or alternative accessible arrangements are made.  The ABO reserves the right to verify the disability and request additional documentation if necessary. Requests that fundamentally alter the purpose and nature of the examination will not be accommodated.

Examinees must submit a completed Request for Accommodation application and supporting documentation at least 90 days prior to the examination date. Early submission is encouraged.

For more information, please see the full ABO policy for examination accommodations.