‘OAB of dentists’? Understand the proposal and what regulatory bodies say

The first edition of the exam took place in 2024, on an optional basis, with 7,159 registrants — only 41% were approved. According to the president of the CFO, the second edition will be applied in March 2026, still optional, but the body defends that the evaluation becomes mandatory through the bill by Senator Astronauta Marcos Pontes (PL-SP) — the proposal is in the House’s Social Affairs Committee.

For the CFO, creating the test is a way of valuing the class and protecting public health. “The National Proficiency Exam in Dentistry is an important mechanism for valuing the class. Upon passing the test, the newly graduated professional will have their qualifications and knowledge for practicing the profession confirmed”, says Miyake. The opinion is shared by CRO-SP (Regional Council of Dentistry of São Paulo): “CROSP supports the carrying out of the Proficiency Exam, as it aims to encourage the training of new Dentistry professionals.”

Aesthetics contributes to the growth of the profession

Conservative dentistry is still the most common practice in the country’s offices, but the search for aesthetic procedures is growing rapidly. This is what the Dentistry Census, a study by ABIMO in partnership with the CFO, shows. According to the survey, 91% of the dentists interviewed worked with conservative dentistry in their care, 86% performed aesthetic procedures, such as orthodontics with aligners and dental aesthetic treatments.

Aesthetic medicine focused on orofacial harmonization also appears on the list. This type of service is practiced by just over a third of those interviewed. The sample included 2,979 respondents from all over Brazil between the period from December 2023 to December 2024.

Within this context, we must recognize that the evolution of aesthetic resources in dentistry has also contributed to the expansion of the market and the interest of young people in the profession. When we talk about aesthetics in dentistry, we can encompass several traditional specialties, in addition to orofacial harmonization, which is more recent, having been regulated in 2019.
Claudio Miyakepresident of the Federal Council of Dentistry