DOH exam subjects and topics details for Dentists 2026
DOH Dentist Exam Subjects Quick Summary
The DOH General Dentist exam is a Pearson VUE CBT of 150 MCQs in 3 hours drawn from the clinical subjects of a dental degree: operative dentistry, endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, oral surgery, pediatric dentistry and orthodontics, oral medicine and radiology, plus dental materials, pharmacology, infection control and medical emergencies. DOH does not publish an official blueprint or past papers, so plan your study around these subjects and practise with clinical MCQs.
General dentists and dental specialists who want a licence from the Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DOH, formerly HAAD) almost always need to pass a DOH exam first. The most common question we get from dentists is simple: what subjects are actually asked? This page answers that, subject by subject. Eligibility, tiers, fees and the timeline are covered on our DOH exam eligibility requirements for dentists page, so they are only summarised here.
What are DOH Dental Licensing Exam Formats?
All DOH computer-based exams are delivered at Pearson VUE test centres. The DOH Licensing Procedural Manual (Circular 151/2024) sets the format by title:
| Title | Exam | Questions and time |
|---|---|---|
| General Dentist | CBT | 150 MCQs in 3 hours |
| Specialist: Endodontics, Orthodontics, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontics, Prosthodontics | CBT | 100 MCQs in 2 hours |
| Specialist: Dental Radiology, Forensic Dentistry, Oral Medicine, Primary Care Dentistry, Dental Pathology, Public Health Dentistry, Special Care Dentistry, Restorative Dentistry | Oral exam | 45 to 60 minutes |
| All Consultant dentist titles | Oral exam | 45 to 60 minutes |
Older guides quote pass marks of 60% to 75%. DOH does not publish a percentage: it uses an internal cut-score, and TAMM shows only PASS or FAIL, within 24 hours for a CBT and within 5 working days for an oral exam. See DOH passing score for more.
What subjects are in the DOH General Dentist exam?
DOH does not release a topic-by-topic blueprint. The list below is built from the general dentistry curriculum and the areas that come up most in exam-style practice questions. Use it as a checklist, not an official syllabus.
| Subject | High-yield topics |
|---|---|
| Operative dentistry | Caries risk assessment and detection, cavity design, composite bonding and isolation, amalgam, glass ionomer, deep caries management, non-carious tooth wear |
| Endodontics | Pulp and periapical diagnosis (AAE terms), pulp testing, access cavity anatomy, working length, irrigants, obturation, procedural errors, traumatic injuries |
| Periodontics | 2017 AAP/EFP classification (staging and grading), plaque control, scaling and root planing, furcation involvement, periodontal abscess, peri-implant disease |
| Prosthodontics | Complete and removable partial dentures (Kennedy classes), impressions, jaw relation records, crown preparation, bridges, post and core, occlusion |
| Oral surgery | Extraction technique, third molar assessment, local anaesthesia and nerve blocks, maximum doses, bleeding and anticoagulated patients, odontogenic infections |
| Pediatric dentistry | Eruption dates, behaviour management, fluoride, fissure sealants, pulpotomy and pulpectomy in primary teeth, stainless steel crowns, child protection |
| Orthodontics | Malocclusion classification, growth and development, crossbite, interceptive treatment, habit breaking appliances |
| Oral medicine, pathology and radiology | Ulcers, white and red lesions, oral cancer signs, cysts and tumours of the jaws, radiographic interpretation and radiation protection |
| Dental materials | Properties and setting of cements, impression materials, gypsum, composites and ceramics |
| Pharmacology and medical emergencies | Analgesics and antibiotics in dentistry, drug interactions, antibiotic prophylaxis, syncope, anaphylaxis, hypoglycaemia, asthma, chest pain |
| Infection control and ethics | Sterilisation and disinfection, sharps injury management, consent, records and professional conduct |
For a general study plan across all DOH titles, read our DOH exam study material and syllabus page. If you also plan to sit a Dubai exam, the DHA general dentist syllabus overlaps heavily with this list.
What topics are asked in DOH dental specialist exams?
Specialist CBTs go deeper into one discipline but still include the general dentistry that touches it, especially diagnosis, medical history and emergencies. The main areas for each CBT specialty:
If your specialty is on the oral exam list, expect case discussion rather than MCQs. Our DOH Abu Dhabi oral exam page explains how the oral exam is booked and run.
How to find updated DOH Dental Exam Questions?
You may find high-yield DOH dentistry questions by Interface Medical Education for these dental exams:
How to study the DOH dental subjects
Most dentists who are working full time need about 2 months. If you have been away from clinical work for a while, give yourself longer and start with the core subjects.
DOH General Dentist sample practice MCQs
Two questions in the clinical style of the Pearson VUE CBT. Tap a question to see the answer.
Question 1: Local anaesthesia
A healthy 70 kg adult needs extensive restorative work under local anaesthesia. You are using 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine in 1.8 mL cartridges. Using a maximum recommended dose of 7 mg/kg, what is the largest number of full cartridges you can give?
A) 5 cartridges
B) 8 cartridges
C) 13 cartridges
D) 20 cartridges
Correct answer: C) 13 cartridges
A 2% solution contains 20 mg/mL, so each 1.8 mL cartridge holds 36 mg of lidocaine. The maximum dose is 70 kg × 7 mg/kg = 490 mg (below the 500 mg absolute ceiling). 490 / 36 = 13.6, so 13 full cartridges. Lower doses are wise in elderly or medically compromised patients.
Question 2: Periodontics
A 45-year-old man who smokes 5 cigarettes a day has generalised interproximal clinical attachment loss of 5 to 6 mm, radiographic bone loss reaching the middle third of the roots (about 40% at the worst site), maximum probing depths of 6 mm and no teeth lost to periodontitis. He is not diabetic. Using the 2017 AAP/EFP classification, what is the diagnosis?
A) Generalised periodontitis Stage II, Grade A
B) Generalised periodontitis Stage III, Grade B
C) Generalised periodontitis Stage III, Grade C
D) Generalised periodontitis Stage IV, Grade B
Correct answer: B) Generalised periodontitis Stage III, Grade B
Interdental CAL of 5 mm or more, bone loss to the middle third and probing depths of 6 mm or more place him in Stage III; Stage IV needs 5 or more teeth lost to periodontitis or complex rehabilitation needs. Bone loss divided by age is 40/45, about 0.9, which is Grade B (0.25 to 1.0), and smoking fewer than 10 cigarettes a day does not shift him to Grade C.
Practise More DOH General Dentist MCQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Does DOH publish an official syllabus for dentists?
No. DOH sets the exam format (150 MCQs in 3 hours for General Dentist, 100 MCQs in 2 hours for five specialist titles) but does not release a detailed blueprint or past papers. Candidates prepare from the standard dental curriculum and exam-style question banks.
Which subjects carry the most questions in the DOH General Dentist exam?
DOH does not publish weightings. In practice, operative dentistry, endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics and oral surgery make up the bulk of clinical questions, and pharmacology, medical emergencies and infection control appear across all of them.
Which dental specialists sit an oral exam instead of a CBT?
Specialists in Dental Radiology, Forensic Dentistry, Oral Medicine, Primary Care Dentistry, Dental Pathology, Public Health Dentistry, Special Care Dentistry and Restorative Dentistry sit an oral exam of 45 to 60 minutes, as do all consultant dentists. Endodontics, Orthodontics, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontics and Prosthodontics specialists sit a 100 MCQ CBT.
What is the passing score for the DOH dental exam?
DOH does not publish a percentage. It sets an internal cut-score and shows only PASS or FAIL in TAMM. A PASS is valid for 5 years for licensing, subject to the PQR.
How long should a dentist prepare for the DOH exam?
Most working dentists need about 2 months: a month on the core clinical subjects, two weeks on pharmacology, emergencies, materials and radiology, and the last two weeks on full timed blocks. Allow more time if you have been away from clinical practice.
Your Comments
Readers have asked us these questions over time. Tap any question to open it and read our reply.
Dr. Jacob Manba (Belgium): DOH exam subjects, syllabus and study material for general dentists
"Can you tell me DOH /HAAD exam subjects or topics details from where questions are asked. how can i get syllabus and study material for HAAD/DOH general dentist exam. Anticipating favourable reply."
Dr. Jacob Manba
Medical Qualification: BDS
City, Country: Belgium
Hiba (Sudan): revision questions for the paediatric specialty
"Hi dear, I would like to sit for DOH exam and want to have revision questions for paediatric specialty. Can you help"
Hiba
City Country: Sudan
Dr Ali Sabir (KSA): is there any relaxation for my Saudi council registration?
"Want to know that if I want to apply for DOH, DHA Or MOHAP uae exams, do I need to take full exam or there is a relaxation based on my qualifications and my saudi council registration. "
Dr Ali Sabir
City Country: KSA
S M Rana (Abu Dhabi): can I open my own private clinic after passing the DOH exam?
"i am general physician from India. want to practice in Abu Dhabi privately. can i start my own private clinic after passing this DOH exam?"
S M Rana
Medical Qualification: MBBS
City Country: abudhabi
Dr. Elizabeth (Dubai, UAE): current exam schedule, online process and DataFlow
"what is the current DOH exam schedule. How online process work and what is dataflow?"
Dr. Elizabeth
Medical Qualification: MBBS, MRCP
City Country: Dubai, UAE
Emilio Esteban Jr (Georgia): CSSD technician and unlicensed BS Nursing graduate
"How can I apply for Had Exam? I am a CERTIFIED CSSD technician here in riyadh and I am a BS Nursing graduate unlicensed."
Emilio Esteban Jr
City Country: Georgia
Al waleed (Mosil, Iraq): passing score for the DOH medical practitioner exam
"what is the passing score for DOH medical practitioner exam. I couldn't clear it in my first attempt."
Al waleed
Medical Qualification: M.B.ch.B
City Country: Mosil, Iraq
Dr Meena (India): exam schedule and syllabus for general dentists
"Want to practice in Abu Dhabi UAE. Please update me for the schedule and reference for the available syllabus."
Dr Meena
Medical Qualification: BDS
City Country: India
Sumit (India): cath lab technologist, can I sit the exam from India?
"i am cathlab technologist, can not find much information about my exam. can i appear from india?"
Sumit
Medical Qualification: cardiovascular technologist
City Country: india
ayesha taha (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia): do you have questions on pediatric dentistry?
"Do u have on pediatric dentistry ?"
ayesha taha
City Country: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Neenu (Kochi, India): cannot complete online registration, what is the registration fee?
"can not complete online registration process, need some guideline. what is the exam registration fee.."
Neenu
Medical Qualification: Microbiologist
City Country: kochi, India
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