# Texas dental license requirements

> Source-backed dentist licensure pathway, exam, residency, endorsement, reciprocity, and official-board signals for Texas.

URL: https://dentovio.com/dental-license-requirements/texas

Last verified: 2026-07-08

Dentovio is not a dental board. Confirm current application forms, education rules, exam acceptance, score windows, jurisprudence requirements, endorsement eligibility, reciprocity, credentialing, fees, and foreign-trained exceptions directly with Texas State Board of Dental Examiners (TSBDE).

## Direct answer

For dentist license requirements in Texas, Dentovio's sourced licensure record highlights education/pathway language, exam signals, and any residency, endorsement, reciprocity, or credentialing notes it could isolate. Education/pathway signal: CODA-accredited SPECIALTY program (min. 2 full-time academic years) — GPR/AEGD explicitly NOT accepted. Per TSBDE and 22 TAC §101, a graduate of a non-accredited (foreign) Exam signal: National Board — NBDE Parts I & II or the iNBDE (electronically validated); plus a general-dentistry regional clinical exam dated within 7 years — TSBDE validates ADEX and CRDTS-SRTA (exams after Jan 1, 2019 must include perio/prostho. Confirm current requirements, application forms, score windows, endorsement eligibility, and foreign-trained exceptions with Texas State Board of Dental Examiners (TSBDE).

## Education and pathway signal

CODA-accredited SPECIALTY program (min. 2 full-time academic years) — GPR/AEGD explicitly NOT accepted. Per TSBDE and 22 TAC §101, a graduate of a non-accredited (foreign) dental school qualifies for licensure by exam by presenting proof of successful completion of training in a CODA-accredited education program that is an ADA-approved specialty consisting of at least two full-time academic years. TSBDE states it will NOT recognize a General Practice Residency (GPR) or Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) in lieu of the specialty requirement. (An advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD would also satisfy the accredited-school route.)

## Exam signal

National Board — NBDE Parts I & II or the iNBDE (electronically validated); plus a general-dentistry regional clinical exam dated within 7 years — TSBDE validates ADEX and CRDTS-SRTA (exams after Jan 1, 2019 must include perio/prostho sections). (WREB retired Dec 31, 2022.) Texas jurisprudence assessment also required.

## Endorsement, reciprocity, or credentials signal

Dentovio did not isolate a licensure-by-endorsement, reciprocity, credentialing, or portability signal in this sourced state record. Verify current out-of-state license options directly with the dental board.

## Residency signal

No residency-only substitute for the required dental degree was isolated in this sourced state record.

## Notes

Key distinction: Texas accepts a 2-year CODA-accredited ADA-recognized SPECIALTY program for foreign grads but explicitly rejects GPR/AEGD (general residency) as a substitute. Advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD is the alternative route.

## Official sources

- <https://tsbde.texas.gov/licensing/dentists/dentist-license-foreign-educated-graduates/>
- <https://tsbde.texas.gov/licensing/dentists/dentist-license-by-exam/>

## Related

- [All dental license requirements by state](https://dentovio.com/dental-license-requirements/index.html.md)
- [Dental license by state](https://dentovio.com/dental-license-by-state/index.html.md)
- [Texas dental license reciprocity](https://dentovio.com/dental-license-reciprocity/texas/index.html.md)
- [Texas dental licensure exams](https://dentovio.com/dental-licensure-exams/texas/index.html.md)
- [Texas foreign-trained dentist licensure](https://dentovio.com/foreign-trained-dentist-license/texas/index.html.md)
- [Texas dental board](https://dentovio.com/dental-boards/texas/index.html.md)
- [Texas dental license lookup](https://dentovio.com/dental-license-lookup/texas/index.html.md)
- [Texas dental license renewal](https://dentovio.com/dental-license-renewal/texas/index.html.md)