NDEB’s 2025–2029 Plan: What It Means for ITD's?
- media81366
- Jun 3
- 4 min read
The National Dental Examining Board of Canada (NDEB) recently released its new plan for 2025 to 2029. This plan outlines important goals to change the future of dental licensure in Canada. The news explains how the NDEB plans to improve its services. It aims to make the process easier for the candidates and modernize its systems.
If you are a foreign-trained dentist inside Canada or are planning to come to Canada. This plan outlines what to expect and how it can affect the Canadian Dental Licensure process.
NDEB's Previous (2019- 2024) Plan
Before we dig into the plan, let's review what they have changed during the last plan, 2019-2024. In the last five years, NDEB Canada stated that they worked hard to improve exams and keep up with changes in healthcare and education. With the new 2025–2029 plan, they will focus on helping candidates. They want to make the NDEB Equivalency process easier and use better technology.
The New Direction: 2025–2029 Strategic Priorities
The NDEB's new five-year plan focuses more on helping candidates. It also emphasizes skill-based assessments, technology upgrades, and using data for policy-making. Here are some of the top priorities and the initiatives that we will implement to achieve them.
1. Supporting Candidate Needs
The first pillar of the plan focuses on improving the candidate experience. Goals include:
Work with other organizations to give clear and timely information for those pursuing dental licensure in Canada.
Look for ways to shorten the certification timeline.
Improve exam tools with extra training, modules, and educational tools.
The mention of reducing certification time has drawn attention. Some people wonder if this could lead to more frequent exams, a clearer exam schedule, or easier pathways. - It is not clear what specific actions will be taken.
- However, acknowledging these concerns indicates a potential improvement.
- This could lead to better accessibility and understanding for ITDs.
The NDEB has introduced a dedicated video library to support candidates throughout the certification process. This resource gives clear steps on how to apply and register.
It offers tips for submitting documents during the application process. It also includes orientation sessions for the NDEB exams and other helpful information. These videos aim to provide candidates with clear and practical support as they navigate the equivalency pathway.
2. Promoting Competency-Based Testing
Create a government relations plan.
Build partnerships with other healthcare groups.
Strengthen the NDEB’s image as a provider of fair, valid, and reliable exams.
Recent collaborations, like the Supportive Pathway Pilot Program in Alberta, give ITDs hands-on experience. This helps them prepare for exams and shows the way forward. These partnerships not only promote competency but also help candidates better understand the Canadian dental care environment.
Furthermore, they are taking measures to strengthen their image as a fair provider. With the recent frustration among internationally trained dentists regarding the unavailability of seats, difficulty in exam registration, and the lack of clear reasons for exam failure, ITDs have questioned the fairness and criteria of the entire process. It is still unclear what policies will be put in place.
However, it is a good step that they are addressing the concerns of internationally trained dentists.
3. Using Technology to Improve Services
Goals:
Invest in custom-built systems to support stakeholders and projects.
Make online exam delivery more stable.
Reduce the need for outside service providers.
Explore and set up hardwired exam sites where suitable.
In the past, many candidates faced challenges when booking their exam seats. This was likely due to high traffic or technical issues. The NDEB has recognized this issue before. They created a queue system to manage the booking process better.
However, it led to mixed results—some candidates were able to secure seats, while others were not. Many have observed that those who recently passed an exam seemed to receive higher priority. Nevertheless, the NDEB's new plans offer hope for a more efficient booking process in the future.
Another key update is that the NDEB is working to reduce its reliance on external service providers. The exact plan is not known yet. One idea is to expand their prototype center in Ottawa to other cities. This potential move offers hope for increased seat availability for future candidates.
4. Investing in Research and Better Decision-Making
Add a project-based team member with data science skills.
Build a strong research program.
Attend industry-related conferences to stay updated.
Final Thoughts? How can it impact the ITD’s
For dentists trained in other countries, whether they are in Canada or planning to move, the new NDEB 2025–2029 roadmap offers hope. The NDEB has not shared detailed steps for implementation.
However, their change in focus is important. They are moving from being purely regulatory to being more supportive of candidates and using technology.
The plan appears to recognize the challenges candidates face and commits, at least in principle, to solving them. From shortened timelines and expanded educational resources to improved technology and fairness, the message is clear: change is coming.
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