The National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) is a comprehensive standardized test administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE) to evaluate the knowledge and understanding of dental students in the basic and clinical sciences relevant to dental practice. Its primary purpose is to assess whether candidates possess the foundational competencies necessary for safe and effective patient care, serving as a critical step toward obtaining dental licensure in the United States. By measuring a candidate’s ability to integrate biomedical, dental, and behavioral sciences, the NBDE ensures that only qualified individuals advance to the clinical and professional stages of dentistry, thereby maintaining high standards of dental education and public health protection.