Initial dental licensure is an important topic for all dental students to understand. Decisions made today will directly influence how you receive your license.
Licensure can be a complex topic. It is state-driven, meaning each state determines the requirements for receiving a license in that state. Additionally, most dental licenses are only valid in the state in which you became licensed. For example: receiving your license in Washington does not necessarily mean you can practice dentistry in Michigan as well.
But perhaps the most controversial issue with the current dental licensure exam process is that it is performed on a live human subject. Testing on a human opens poses various ethical, reliability and validity concerns. These high-stakes, one-shot testing scenarios on human subjects must end.