Advanced Placement, Qualifying, and Degree Completion Programs for Internationally Trained Dentists in Canada and the United States: An Overview

Abstract

Canadian and U.S. universities are faced with the challenge that they are not graduating enough dentists to meet the future needs of the Canadian and U.S. populations. Foreign‐trained dentists represent a valuable resource to society and the economy. Dental programs have been established to train foreign‐trained dentists for some or all of the following reasons: public need for health care services, income generation for universities, and demand by foreign‐trained dentists who desire to practice dentistry in Canada or the United States rather than in their own nation. Changes implemented by the National Dental Examining Board (NDEB) of Canada in 2000 and by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) in the United States in 1986 have resulted in foreign‐trained dentists no longer being able to gain dental licensure in these countries strictly through a certification examination. Foreign‐trained dentists are now required to apply for and complete a two‐ to three‐year advanced placement, qualifying, or degree program at a Canadian or U.S. dental school prior to receiving licensure to practice. The study reported in this article investigated the various types of advanced placement, qualifying, or degree programs available to foreign‐trained dentists wishing to practice in either Canada or the United States and the differences among these programs. This research provides a better understanding of the various commonalities and differences among Canadian and U.S. programs for internationally trained dentists.

Foreign-Trained Dentists in the United States: Challenges and Opportunities

“…After title and abstract screening, 29 publications that did not answer the focused question or were duplicates were excluded. In total 18 articles were sought, including nine articles [ 7 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ] discussing workforce diversity in dentistry ( Table 1 ); and nine articles [ 1 , 2 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ] discussing licensing process for foreign-trained dentists ( Table 2 ).…”

“…Application requirements include passing scores of: (a) Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), (b) National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) Part I and Part II, and (c) transcripts from dental school evaluated by independent educational credentialing institutions. Additional requirements include psychomotor bench tests, case presentations and personal interviews [ 8 , 9 , 22 ].…”

“…Though these programs are ADA credited, they remain unendorsed for specialization. These programs usually grant a certificate of completion (not a DDS or DMD degree) which may satisfy only licensure eligibility requirements in the state where the program is located, or be recognized only by a limited number of states [ 9 ]. Several dental schools do not accept foreign-trained dentists into their programs due to state policies, and only applicants graduating from a U.S. based dental school are eligible for application [ 22 ].…”

“…Furthermore, it is pertinent to mention that additional to tuition fees, travelling, relocation and living expenses in the city of the program must be also added to the total costs [ 9 ]. Moreover, scholarships, loans and financial support to foreign-trained dentists are limited [ 10 ].…”

“…Instead, foreign-trained dentists were obliged to apply and successfully complete a 2- or 3-year dental educational program in order to become licensed practitioners. These changes were introduced in order to protect the public and ensure that international dentists were adequately trained to meet U.S. standards [ 9 , 10 , 11 ]. Presently, licensing requirements for foreign-trained dentists in the U.S. are strict, confusing, complex and are conferred by individual state licensing boards.…”