The current status of prosthodontic specialists in Japan—The Japan Prosthodontic Society has played an important role in certification of prosthodontic specialists

Abstract

A board certification system for prosthodontic specialists was established in 2005 by the Japan Prosthodontic Society (JPS), significantly later than the system established by the American Board of Prosthodontics in 1947. The purpose of this study is to outline the certification system for prosthodontic specialists in Japan and discuss and evaluate its current status. In 2012, the number of board certified prosthodontic specialists was 1150 and that of mentorial specialists was 693. The number of board certified institutions was 78 and that of certified adjunct institutions was 23. Although the history of the certification system is not very long, we conclude that a well-organized system has been developed. In addition, prosthodontic departments of dental schools also play an important role in the certification system for prosthodontic specialists.