DHA General Dentist Exam 2026: Eligibility, Exemption & MCQs

DHA General Dentist Exam Quick Summary

The exam covers general dentistry across anesthesia, oral surgery, restorative and cosmetic dentistry, and patient safety topics, with 100–150 MCQs, roughly 165 minutes to complete, and a passing score above 60%.

DHA Dubai General Dentist Exam

The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) administers this licensing exam for general dentists seeking to practice in Dubai, UAE. It evaluates broad clinical competency across general dentistry — not a single narrow specialty — including diagnosis, restorative treatment, minor oral surgery, and patient management.

Eligibility criteria for the DHA General Dentist exam

To apply for the DHA General Dentist exam, candidates are generally expected to meet the following:

Dental degree: Successful completion of a 5-year dental degree — BDS, DDS, DMD, or equivalent — from an accredited institution.

Internship / housejob: Completion of one year of internship or housejob after graduation, providing supervised clinical exposure.

Post-internship clinical experience: At least 2 years of hands-on, patient-care experience after your internship, properly documented and verifiable through DataFlow.

Valid professional registration: An active license or registration to practice dentistry in your home country or country of last employment.

DataFlow Primary Source Verification: All educational, professional, and licensing documents must be verified through DataFlow, and a DHA Sheryan account created before scheduling your exam.

Fresh graduates without the required internship or experience are generally not eligible for independent licensing yet — trainee, supervised, or assistant positions are common alternative pathways in the meantime. Confirm your own status through the Sheryan self-assessment tool.

DHA General Dentist exam exemption criteria

Possible exam exemption

General dentists who hold documented completion of all parts of certain recognized international licensing exams may be eligible for exemption from the DHA Prometric exam. Recognized qualifying exams include the Australian Dental Council exam, the National Dental Examining Board of Canada exam, the Irish Dental Council exam, the New Zealand Dental Registration Exam (NZDREX), the Overseas Registration Exam (ORE — for non-UK graduates, not exceeding 5 years old), and National Board Dental Examination Parts I & II. Exemption isn't automatic — it requires a separate application with supporting proof and is confirmed directly by DHA. Confirm your own exemption status through the Sheryan self-assessment tool rather than assuming it applies.

DHA General Dentist exam syllabus

See the full DHA General Dentist syllabus breakdown for the complete topic list. The exam draws from the following subject areas:

Anesthesia and Pain Management
Trauma
Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Disorders
Dentoalveolar Surgery
Implant Surgery
Reconstruction
Cosmetic Dentistry
Deformities and Orthognathic Surgery
Infection Control & Patient Safety
Dental Anatomy & Occlusion
Oral Medicine & Diagnostic Sciences
Patient Ethics & Education

Most questions are presented as clinical scenario-based MCQs with 4–5 answer choices and a single correct answer, delivered as a computer-based test via Prometric.

DHA General Dentist study material & questions

Official past papers aren't released publicly, but our Qbank compiles recall-based questions from actual test takers, reviewed by expert doctors.

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DHA General Dentist exam format

100–150

MCQs

165 min

Time allowed

60%+

Passing score

DHA dental exams are delivered as computer-based tests via Prometric. The exact question count, duration, and passing score can differ from DOH, MOH, and SDLE versions of the same exam — always confirm the DHA-specific figures on your Sheryan eligibility notice.

Preparation tips for the DHA General Dentist exam

Cover breadth, not just depth

Unlike a specialist exam, this one spans surgery, restorative, cosmetic, and diagnostic topics — don't over-focus on one area at the expense of broad coverage.

Practice scenario-based MCQs

Expect clinical vignettes requiring diagnostic and treatment-planning judgment, not simple fact recall.

Don't skip infection control & ethics

Infection control, patient safety, and ethics questions are scored the same as clinical topics and are often under-revised.

Pace yourself

With up to 150 questions in 165 minutes, you have just over a minute per question — build that pace into your practice sessions early.

Sample Practice MCQs

Test your knowledge with these original clinical scenario-style questions. Tap a question to reveal the answer.

> Question 1: Oral Surgery

A patient presents 3 days after a lower third molar extraction with severe pain, an empty-looking socket, and a foul odor, but no signs of swelling or fever. What is the most likely diagnosis?

Answer: Alveolar osteitis (dry socket).

Explanation: Dry socket presents with disproportionately severe pain a few days post-extraction, due to loss or disintegration of the blood clot exposing bone, typically without significant swelling or systemic fever — distinguishing it from a wound infection or abscess.

> Question 2: Restorative Dentistry

A patient has a deep carious lesion close to the pulp in an otherwise asymptomatic, vital tooth. What is the most appropriate initial management to avoid unnecessary pulp exposure?

Answer: Indirect pulp capping — remove the bulk of caries, leave a thin layer of affected (not infected) dentin over the pulp, and place a protective liner before final restoration.

Explanation: Complete caries removal in a deep lesion close to the pulp risks unnecessary pulp exposure. Indirect pulp capping preserves pulp vitality by leaving a remineralizable layer of dentin in place, rather than proceeding straight to pulpotomy or root canal treatment in an asymptomatic vital tooth.

> Question 3: Infection Control

After treating a patient with a known bloodborne infection, a dental instrument is found to be heat-sensitive and cannot be autoclaved. What is the most appropriate method to ensure it is safe for reuse?

Answer: High-level chemical disinfection/sterilization specifically validated for heat-sensitive instruments, following manufacturer and infection-control guidelines — not simply wiping with a surface disinfectant.

Explanation: Heat-sensitive instruments that cannot tolerate autoclaving still require a validated sterilization or high-level disinfection method appropriate to their material, since surface wiping alone is insufficient for instruments that contact mucous membranes or blood.

Frequently Asked Questions

> What does the DHA General Dentist exam cover?

It covers a broad range of general dentistry topics: anesthesia and pain management, trauma, TMJ disorders, dentoalveolar and implant surgery, reconstruction, cosmetic dentistry, orthognathic surgery, infection control and patient safety, dental anatomy and occlusion, oral medicine and diagnostic sciences, and patient ethics and education.

> What is the passing score for the DHA General Dentist exam?

Candidates generally need to score above 60% to pass. Note that other Gulf authorities running dental licensing exams (DOH, MOH, SDLE) can use different question counts, durations, and pass marks.

> Can general dentists be exempted from the DHA Prometric exam?

Possibly. Dentists who have completed all parts of certain recognized international licensing exams — such as the Australian Dental Council exam, NDEB Canada, the Irish Dental Council exam, NZDREX, ORE, or NBDE Parts I & II — may apply for exemption, but it is never automatic and must be confirmed directly with DHA.

> Can a fresh graduate sit the DHA General Dentist exam?

Not directly for independent licensing — DHA generally requires one year of internship/housejob plus at least 2 years of post-internship clinical experience first. Fresh graduates often pursue trainee, supervised, or assistant roles in the meantime.

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