ABOI/ID

Certification requires passing both a Written Examination and an Oral Examination, in addition to meeting eligibility requirements for your pathway and completing the application. The Board's site maintains separate pages for the written and oral examinations, and its Diplomate News carries an examination information announcement covering format, dates, and testing locations. Check those pages for the specifics of your cycle.

The Board lists candidates as general dentists, specialists trained in prosthodontics, periodontics, or oral surgery, and internationally educated dentists who meet eligibility requirements. Separate application pathways exist for specialty dentists, general dentists, and international dentists. Some applicants, including specialists from ADA/CODA-approved programs and AAID Fellows, may qualify for exemptions from Part I, so confirm your pathway before applying.

First-time applicants create an online account through the ABOI portal, submit the required documentation, and complete the tasks listed on their dashboard; returning applicants log back in and continue where they left off. The Board lists a 2027 application deadline of December 1, 2026. Verify current deadlines in the portal, since dates are announced through Diplomate News.

The Board describes certification as confirming standards across all phases of implant care, not case volume, so a narrow surgical focus is a weak strategy. Build study order around the four areas the Board names: diagnosis, surgical phases, restorative phases, and long-term patient management. Diagnosis and treatment planning underpin the other three, so start there and integrate the rest rather than studying them in isolation.

The most frequent weakness is uneven preparation: strong surgical knowledge paired with thin restorative or maintenance content, which conflicts with the Board's emphasis on all phases of care. A second is skipping eligibility and paperwork steps until late. A third is relying on remembered exam details instead of the Board's current examination information announcement, since format and logistics are announced and can change between cycles.

The published source does not state a retake policy, the number of attempts permitted, or any waiting period between attempts. Because it does not specify these terms, they should be confirmed directly with the Board through the ABOI portal or by contacting the Board office before you plan a re-examination. Do not assume a specific retake window based on other boards' practices.

The Board states that Diplomates with time-limited certificates complete Maintenance of Certification every eight years to stay current with evolving best practices. The source does not state whether every certificate is time-limited, so check your own certificate terms. The Board also reports that it regularly evaluates examination content, conducts practice analyses, and uses psychometric review to support fairness and accuracy.

The Board provides a public Diplomate directory for locating certified implant dentists and a verification tool for confirming an individual's certification status. The Board states these resources help patients, referring dentists, and credentialing offices confirm that a clinician has met its standards. Use the verification tool rather than directory listing alone when status matters for credentialing.

The published source does not state application or examination fees, the number of examination items, the testing time, or a passing score. Those details are referenced by the Board's application and exam fees page and its examination information announcement. Obtain current figures from those Board resources rather than relying on figures quoted elsewhere, which may be out of date.