Study
Theme notes
- Caries & preventionStart with the child’s disease risk. Control the process, choose care the family can sustain, and match the restoration to the tooth’s future. In these pathways, **F** means fluoride; **SDF** silver diamine fluoride; **ITR** interim therapeutic restoration; **GIC** glass ionomer cement; **RMGIC** resin-modified glass ionomer cement; and **SSC/PMC** a stainless-steel/preformed metal crown. **OH** means oral hygiene and **GA** general anesthesia.
- Pulp therapyKeep the pulp guidelines together, but separate primary from permanent teeth. Diagnose before naming a procedure; then explain restorability, root maturity, the seal, and follow-up.
- Trauma & surgeryFirst establish medical stability and the injury. Then split primary from permanent teeth: the successor, root maturity, and time outside the socket change the plan.
- Diagnosis & infectionDescribe the problem before labeling it. Choose the next investigation because it can change care, and separate localized dental disease from a spreading infection.
- Behavior & sedationBuild cooperation through communication and pain control. When advanced support is needed, justify the technique, setting, consent, monitoring, and rescue plan.
- Growth & spaceTiming is part of the treatment. Diagnose the developmental problem, explain whether intervention now helps, and plan review through growth. Tooth shorthand in these pathways: **D** means a primary first molar, **E** a primary second molar, and **6** a first permanent molar. These are not the Universal tooth letters used in the case library.
- Access & special needsMake the plan fit the patient’s abilities, medical needs, and access to care. Build continuity from the first dental home through the transition to adult services.
- Consent & safetyMake reasoning visible to the family, the record, and the team. Consent is a conversation, documentation preserves that conversation, and safety is a repeatable process.
- OCE approachPractice retrieving a decision and explaining why it fits the case. Keep answers direct and organized so the examiner can follow your reasoning.
Bring it together
Open printable recapRehearse under exam conditions
A mock session draws unseen cases from all ten blueprint domains, in proportion to their weight, with the diagnosis left for you to make.
Start a mock sessionPractice sessions
Seven reusable units with guided practice and untimed answer review.
Answer what was asked.
Pause, clarify if needed, then give a direct answer with a reason. When the examiner asks for a full plan, walk this order.
- Findings
- diagnosis
- options
- recommendation
- follow-up
- 1Unit 1 · 30 minutesOrientation and answer structureConnect the ABPD examination framework to a concise, source-based clinical answer.
- 2Unit 2 · 90 minutesCaries, prevention, and growth casesConnect caries decisions to prevention, development, and a plan the family can use.
- 3Unit 3 · 90 minutesTrauma, pulp, and diagnosis decisionsWork through trauma, pulpal decisions, and a diagnostic differential out loud.
- 4Unit 4 · 90 minutesMock cases: behavior and special needsUse original practice prompts to connect behavior guidance and complex patient needs.
- 5Unit 5 · 45 minutesSedation, emergencies, and consentRecognize a changing safety problem, start the appropriate response, and document decisions clearly.
- 6Unit 6 · 30 minutesConsolidation and source reviewResolve the most consequential gaps and prepare a compact personal recap.
- 7Unit 7 · 45 minutesIntegrated rehearsalRehearse concise care plans and explain how one changed finding changes the decision.
Plan your preparation
Seven reusable units connect reading, recall, clinical rehearsal, and exit self-checks.
Preparation course · seven unitsBlueprint coverage
Each exam domain, its weight, and the sessions and cases that practice it.
Official resources
- Blueprint & scoring
Full task statements, cognitive levels, and the examiner rubric.
- OCE exam guide · PDF
The complete guide linked from ABPD’s OCE overview.
- Study tips & recommended reading
ABPD’s preparation advice and reference categories.
- Communication strategies
Answer the question, make your reasoning clear, and stay concise.
- Candidate mock video 1
Official illustrative practice video, not actual examination content.
- Candidate mock video 2
A second official example to discuss with your study partner.
- Candidate mock video 3
A third official example of the oral examination process.
- Examination day
Registration, ID, belongings, orientation, and session information.
- What to expect · video
ABPD’s examination-day walkthrough.
- Confidentiality · video
ABPD’s guidance on examination confidentiality.
- Certification policies
Candidate agreements, confidentiality, and examination policies.
- Certification FAQs
Official answers to certification questions.
- Historical outcomes · PDF
ABPD’s published examination outcomes, linked from the OCE overview.