How to Maintain Certification

Structure of the CM Process

As of January 2020, the ABOMS Certification Maintenance (CM) has changed to an online process, completed at any point throughout the year from a Diplomate's profile. CM still runs in 10-year cycles. Each year, Diplomates with time-limited certificates are required to complete a portion of the program, found in Diplomate profiles. Diplomates must continuously meet the CM requirements or they may jeopardize their certification.

The CM process requires certified oral and maxillofacial surgeons to maintain current competence through ongoing professional education provided through national meetings, seminars, lectures, special courses, panels, symposia, and self-assessment tools.

CM is an evolving process and the requirements outlined below may be modified as the needs of the specialty and the public change. 

You will find your CM requirements for the year by logging into your Diplomate profile. You can view the full 10-year cycle requirements in this diagram.

Description of the CM Process

Professional Standing

Each year, the Diplomate must provide evidence of professional standing by submitting their Annual Registration (AR). It is a yearly online application where Diplomates must provide attestations of professional standing by answering a series of credentialing questions. The Diplomate may jeopardize their certification if they do not successfully complete their AR. The total cost for AR each year is $300.

Lifelong Learning

Diplomates with time-limited certificates are required to attest to having 20 hours of continuing education recognized by ADA CERP or AMA certified each year on the Diplomate’s AR application. This question will be presented to the doctor on their 2021 Annual Registration form where the surgeon will attest to having completed 20 hours of CE in the past year. 

In addition to a Diplomate’s CE attestation, the doctor is required to answer questions from two referenced articles every year. Due to copyright issues, articles are not available by ABOMS, rather, the reference is provided for the doctor to use while answering questions. A Diplomate must answer 100% of the questions correctly to successfully meet this requirement and can re-take the questions if needed. This component of CM is available year-round on Diplomate profiles.

Evaluation of Performance in Practice

Quality improvement initiatives and an up-to-date Office Anesthesia Evaluation (OAE) by AAOMS or a jurisdictional licensing body is required to successfully meet this component of CM. Diplomate’s must attest to having an active OAE (or alternative pathways are available through ABOMS) in addition to acknowledging other quality improvement (QI) initiatives listed on their Diplomate profiles. Diplomates with time-limited certificates are required to complete this step twice during a ten-year certificate during years five and ten. 

Cognitive Expertise

Diplomates are required to complete questions from two clinical case scenarios during years three, six and nine of their time-limited certificate. Clinical case questions focus on treatment and terminology that reflect modern management of oral and maxillofacial surgery. A Diplomate must answer 80% of the questions correctly to successfully meet this requirement and can re-take the questions if needed.

Upon meeting each of these components in the CM process, a new certificate will be issued to the Diplomate once their current certificate expires. The new certificate will certify the Diplomate for ten years following the expiration of their current certificate.

Click here to view the CM handbook.