CRDTS Dental study guide
CRDTS Dental · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Central Regional Dental Testing Service (CRDTS) administers clinical licensing examinations for dentists and dental hygienists. For over 50 years, CRDTS has been a mainstay in national clinical testing as a pathway toward licensure, and its examinations are recognized and accepted in over 40 states nationwide (and growing). CRDTS develops and administers fair and reliable examinations for candidates wishing to practice dental and dental hygiene. The dental examination assesses clinical competency through patient-based and simulated patient (manikin) formats, and a written Oral Assessment OSCE is presented to candidates on-site. Same day exam results and on-site retakes are available at the majority of exam locations, and independent testing sites offer scheduling flexibility. CRDTS also offers examinations in local anesthesia, restorative auxiliary, and dental therapy. Topics on this exam: Dental clinical competency (patient-based and simulated patient/manikin assessment) and Written Oral Assessment OSCE. The CRDTS Dental study guide has 2 sections and about 897 words.
01Dental Clinical Competency: Patient-Based and Simulated/Manikin Assessment
This domain assesses whether you can deliver safe, defensible care on a real patient and reproduce core technical procedures on a manikin under rubric conditions. It is not a recall test: examiners score observable behaviors, decision points, and the quality of the end product. Pre-procedure readiness: verified patient identity, informed consent, complete medical history, medication and allergy review, vital signs when indicated, and radiograph justification. Anesthesia and field control: appropriate local anesthetic choice and dose, aspiration, isolation, moisture control, and sharps safety.
480 words, about 2 min02Written Oral Assessment OSCE
The written oral assessment OSCE uses structured stations-vignettes, radiographs, casts, photographs, and standardized patients-to test clinical reasoning under time pressure. Each station has an examiner checklist. You earn marks for stated findings, a committed diagnosis, a prioritized plan, and a safe next step , not for mentioning every disease in the differential. Data interpretation: read a panoramic or periapical radiograph, periodontal chart, or pulp-test record and name the key abnormality.
417 words, about 2 minMore study resources for CRDTS Dental
- Practice questionsDuring a periodontal probing assessment, the probe tip is inserted with the long axis of the probe kept parallel to the long axis of the tooth root.
- FlashcardsMaximum lidocaine dose. Lidocaine 2% with 1:100,000 epinephrine has a maximum dose of 7 mg/kg, capped near 500 mg.
- Cheat sheetUniversal precautions apply to all patients: gloves, mask, eye protection, and gown; hand hygiene before and after every patient contact and after glove removal.
- Key termsInformed consent. A patient's voluntary agreement to a procedure after receiving and understanding information about its nature, risks, benefits, alternatives, and the consequences of refusing it.
- Study planMap every Domain 1 assessment task (patient-based and simulated/manikin) against the published CRDTS candidate guide and list the clinical procedures you must be able to perform unaided.
- Common mistakesCandidates rehearse the operative steps and treat the pre-procedure checklist as administrative padding, so under time pressure they skip verification and lose structured marks before the bur or scaler touches the tooth.
- Exam-day guideBring the original, unexpired ID whose name matches your registration exactly.