Comparison

Essentials Handbook vs PDB Prep

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Essentials Handbook

This educational handbook provides essential information for physicians covering general hospital procedures, systems, patient care, and infection control. It serves as a comprehensive resource for medical professionals.

Highlights
  • General Ins & Outs
  • Systems Information
  • Patient Care Guidelines
  • Infection Control Protocols
Features
Read full description

The Center for Physician Education Essentials Handbook. This handbook includes General Ins & Outs, Systems, Patient Care and Infection Control.

About

PDB Prep

Prepare for your Pediatric Dental Board exams with a comprehensive flashcard system. Access over 1,000 high-yield questions, detailed explanations, and clinical scenarios to build in-depth knowledge. Track your progress and master the material for test day success.

Highlights
  • 1,000+ high-yield questions
  • 8 exam-based categories
  • Detailed explanations
  • Full-color images
  • Clinical scenarios with radiographs
  • Question sorting by knowledge level
Features
Read full description

Pass your Pediatric Dental Board qualifying written and oral exams with Pediatric Dental Boards Prep® — the study app built for today’s ABPD exam. Study smarter with 5,000+ high-yield written questions, detailed explanations, full-color images, and a complete oral board prep section — all in one app. Whether you’re just starting out or in final review, PDB Prep helps you build deep, exam-ready knowledge across every major pediatric dentistry domain. Trusted by candidates nationwide, we’re committed to helping you feel confident and prepared on test day. Download free and start studying today. Try the Growth and Development category at no cost, then subscribe for full access to everything below. Written Exam Prep 5,000+ high-yield questions based on ABPD exam content and prior board-style material Organized into 10 categories aligned with the current ABPD written exam: Prevention and Health Promotion Growth and Development Dental Caries Diagnosis, Non-restorative Caries Management and Restorative Treatment Oral Diagnosis, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology and Oral Medicine Special Health Care Needs Behavior Guidance Oral Facial Injury, Emergency Care, Oral Surgery and Pulp Therapy Integrated Clinical Assessment Advocacy and Education Elements of Pediatric Dental Practice Detailed explanations with full-color clinical images and radiographs Clinical scenario questions with imaging where it matters most Self-assessment tools — mark questions as Know, Somewhat Know, or Don’t Know and revisit weak areas anytime Progress dashboard with visual stats and session history Resume where you left off — pick up unfinished study sessions anytime Oral Exam Prep (Premium) Full Oral tab with written and oral board preparation in one place Exam process guidance: outline, test day, case topics, scoring, and structure Strategy and advice: algorithms, trauma protocols, radiograph approach, case methodology, and more 56 pediatric dental case flashcards for oral exam practice Sources & Disclaimer All content — including explanations, clinical photos, and referenced material — is drawn from prior or current publications, articles, and journals associated with pediatric dentistry and is provided for educational purposes only. Contact us for sources and citations. Pediatric Dental Boards Prep® is NOT affiliated with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) or the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry (ABPD). Subscribe for Full Access Monthly: $99.99/month Quarterly: $149.99/3 months ($49.99/month) Half-Yearly: $199.99/6 months ($33.33/month) Yearly: $249.99/year ($20.83/month) Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period at the then-current rate Subscriptions can be managed and auto-renewal turned off in Account Settings after purchase Access to premium content ends when your subscription expires unless you resubscribe Prices shown are for United States customers. Pricing in other countries may vary and actual charges may be converted to your local currency. Questions or feedback? Email us at pedsdentalprep@gmail.com Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Essentials Handbook1 screens
PDB Prep4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Essentials Handbook at 100% against PDB Prep's 47%. Essentials Handbook also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. PDB Prep sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $99.99 per month. Essentials Handbook asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Essentials Handbook ships an update monthly, PDB Prep every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Essentials Handbook versus PDB Prep: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEssentials HandbookPDB Prep
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better46.7% of reviews
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB70 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperCenter for Physician Education, LLCSteven Glickman

Customer experience

Essentials Handbook

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

PDB Prep

Written reviews30 reviews
Positive46.7%
Neutral10.0%
Negative43.3%

In-app purchases

None

Essentials Handbook

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

PDB Prep

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly Premium$99.991 Month
  • Quarterly Premium$149.993 Months
  • Six Month Premium$199.996 Months
Show 1 more
  • Yearly Premium$249.991 Year

Questions

Is Essentials Handbook free?
Essentials Handbook is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PDB Prep free?
PDB Prep is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Essentials Handbook or PDB Prep have ads?
Neither Essentials Handbook nor PDB Prep shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Essentials Handbook or PDB Prep?
Essentials Handbook ships an update monthly, and PDB Prep every 3 weeks. Most recently, Essentials Handbook was updated on September 22, 2026 and PDB Prep on September 30, 2026.

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