Dentists educated outside the United States and Canada who successfully complete a program accredited by the ADA’s Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) and receive a doctorate of dental surgery (DDS) or doctorate of dental medicine degree (DMD), and meet all other requirements of licensure, may be issued a license to practice dentistry in North Dakota. The completion of an education program, including a certificate program, that does not result in the issuance of either a DDS, a DMD, or their equivalent, is insufficient for licensure. International applicants are encouraged to contact CODA-accredited programs to discuss advanced placement options to understand how they may earn a DDS or DMD by enrolling in that CODA-accredited program.
Dentists educated outside the United States and Canada who have not earned a DDS or DMD from a CODA-accredited program may be considered for licensure pursuant to NDAC 20-02-01-03.2. This rule allows applicants who hold degrees that are the equivalent of a DDS or DMD to be licensed. Determinations of equivalency are made by the Board, based on its review of the application and on an independent assessment carried out by a Board-approved assessment or accreditation institution. Indpendent assessments may take considerable time and resources. The applicant must bear all costs associated with their equivalency assessment.
After reviewing the application and the results of the independent assessment, the Board may require the applicant to complete additional steps, including completion of additional education, passage of a national written examination, and passage of a clinical competency examination approved by the Board. The examination may include a periodontal component, posterior composite or amalgam restoration, a class three restorative procedure, an endodontic component, and a fixed prosthetic component.
