international dentist programs

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International dentist programs, formally advanced-standing DDS or DMD programs, let dentists trained outside the US join a CODA-accredited dental school partway through and graduate with a US dental degree. The ADEA CAAPID Program Finder listed 47 such programs on November 8, 2026. They run 24 to 45 months (most 24 to 30), take between 1 and 100 students a year, and nearly all require a passed INBDE, a TOEFL score (most ask for 4.5 or 5 on the new 1–6 scale; Florida 4.0, Temple 5.5), and an ECE or WES course-by-course evaluation. 36 of the 47 hold a bench test and 11 accept only US citizens or permanent residents. Published 2026–27 rates run from $92,287 a year in tuition (LSU) to $191,190 a year in projected tuition and fees (Ohio State, non-resident). Tuition and fees for the whole program start around $225,000 to $280,000 (UTHealth Houston, Loma Linda, LSU), and full cost of attendance runs about $280,000 to $470,000 (Pittsburgh to Tufts). A CODA-accredited DDS or DMD meets the education requirement for licensure in every state; most states require it for foreign-trained dentists.