# Tennessee dental licensure exams

> Dentist licensure exam signals for Tennessee, including national-board, clinical-exam, jurisprudence, and pathway-specific notes where sourced.

URL: https://dentovio.com/dental-licensure-exams/tennessee

Last verified: 2026-07-08

Research confidence: high

Educational summary only, not legal, admissions, testing-vendor, or board advice. Exam acceptance, score windows, jurisprudence rules, endorsement routes, and foreign-trained dentist pathways can change. Confirm current instructions with Tennessee Board of Dentistry (TN Dept. of Health) before applying.

## Direct answer

For dentist licensure exams in Tennessee, Dentovio's sourced state record lists: National Board (JCNDE) — NBDE Parts I & II or the iNBDE; plus (for standard licensure by exam) a board-approved regional clinical exam — ADEX/CDCA, SRTA, CRDTS, CITA accepted (WREB retired Dec 31, 2022). TN Ethics & Jurisprudence exam required for all pathways. Confirm current iNBDE/NBDE, ADEX or other clinical exam, jurisprudence, law-and-rules, endorsement, and pathway-specific requirements with Tennessee Board of Dentistry (TN Dept. of Health).

## Exam signals

National Board (JCNDE) — NBDE Parts I & II or the iNBDE; plus (for standard licensure by exam) a board-approved regional clinical exam — ADEX/CDCA, SRTA, CRDTS, CITA accepted (WREB retired Dec 31, 2022). TN Ethics & Jurisprudence exam required for all pathways.

## Pathway context

No full license on a non-CODA degree; a restricted LIMITED LICENSE is available via an ADA-accredited SPECIALTY program (not GPR/AEGD). Rule 0460-02-.03 (Limited and Educational Limited Licensure): a graduate whose transcript shows the equivalent of a DDS/DMD, plus an ECE course-by-course evaluation showing the equivalent of 4 years of US dentistry study, plus 'certification of successful completion of a graduate training program in a recognized specialty branch of dentistry from an advanced specialty program accredited by the American Dental Association,' plus the National Board exam. This limited license restricts practice to ADA-accredited institutions / dental education programs or federally-designated health professional shortage areas (HPSAs). For UNRESTRICTED licensure by exam, TN requires a CODA-accredited DDS/DMD (i.e., a foreign grad would need an advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD).

## Notes

The non-CODA pathway is a limited/practice-restricted license tied to completing an ADA-accredited advanced SPECIALTY program — a general-dentistry GPR/AEGD residency does NOT qualify. Full unrestricted licensure requires a CODA-accredited DDS/DMD.

## Official board source

- Tennessee Board of Dentistry (TN Dept. of Health): <https://www.tn.gov/health/health-program-areas/health-professional-boards/dentistry-board.html>

## References

- <https://www.tn.gov/health/health-program-areas/health-professional-boards/dentistry-board.html>
- <https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/rules/0460/0460-02.20230919.pdf>
- <https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/documents/DS_Instructions.pdf>

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