The American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (ABOMS) is the certifying board for the oral and maxillofacial surgery specialty in the U.S. and is recognized and approved by the Council on Dental Education of the American Dental Association.

A committee was authorized at the 1945 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Oral Surgeons to establish an American Board of Oral Surgery, which would conduct examinations for the certification of specialists in oral surgery. In 1946, the American Board of Oral Surgery was incorporated under the laws of the state of Illinois. During the following year, the American Board of Oral Surgery was approved by the Council on Dental Education of the American Dental Association and was authorized to proceed with the certification of specialists in oral surgery. The American Board of Oral Surgery was renamed the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in 1978 to reflect the scope of the specialty. The name modification was incorporated under the laws of the state of Illinois.

The operation of ABOMS is entrusted to an eight-member Board of Directors. These Directors are ABOMS Diplomates and AAOMS Fellows. . One Director is elected each year to an eight-year term by the AAOMS House of Delegates. An Examination Committee composed of Diplomates is appointed by the Board of Directors to prepare and conduct the annual certification examination. The Board of Directors and its Examination Committee serve without salary.

Certification Process
Candidate Information

Visit ABOMS.org for more information about the board-certification process.