# foreign trained dentist license California

Answer: California requires a Board- or CODA-approved DDS/DMD path before general dentist licensure; a CODA residency can be a clinical-exam alternative after a qualifying degree, but it does not let a raw non-CODA foreign dental degree bypass the approved-degree requirement.

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Answer intent ID: `foreign-trained-dentist-license-california`
Cluster: State-scale dental references
Last verified: 2026-07-08
Reviewer: see source page

## Direct answer

California requires a Board- or CODA-approved DDS/DMD path before general dentist licensure; a CODA residency can be a clinical-exam alternative after a qualifying degree, but it does not let a raw non-CODA foreign dental degree bypass the approved-degree requirement.

## Query patterns

- foreign trained dentist license California
- international dentist licensure California
- California foreign dentist residency pathway

Source citations:
- `FOREIGN-LICENSURE-CALIFORNIA-1` California foreign-trained dentist licensure source 1. <https://www.dbc.ca.gov/applicants/become_licensed_dds.shtml>
- `FOREIGN-LICENSURE-CALIFORNIA-2` California foreign-trained dentist licensure source 2. <https://www.dbc.ca.gov/applicants/licensure_by_residency.shtml>
- `FOREIGN-LICENSURE-CALIFORNIA-3` California foreign-trained dentist licensure source 3. <https://www.dbc.ca.gov/licensees/important_changes.shtml>
- `FOREIGN-LICENSURE-CALIFORNIA-4` California foreign-trained dentist licensure source 4. <https://www.ada.org/resources/careers/licensure/licensure-for-the-international-dentists>

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- [/guide/california-dentistry-law-ethics-exam/source-registry](https://dentovio.com/guide/california-dentistry-law-ethics-exam/source-registry)

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