Does without repeating dental school mean no additional education?

No. A possible no-repeat signal can still require a CODA-accredited residency, GPR, AEGD, specialty program, advanced education, credential evaluation, clinical exam, jurisprudence exam, supervised practice, faculty appointment, limited license, or board approval.

Should I choose a residency instead of an advanced-standing DDS/DMD?

Not from a general guide alone. Compare the state signal, then verify the exact board rule and program eligibility. Many states still point foreign-trained dentists toward a CODA-accredited DDS/DMD or advanced-standing route.

Residency instead of full DDS/DMD

Foreign dentist license without repeating dental school

Compare whether state-board records show a possible path for internationally trained dentists that may avoid repeating a full DDS/DMD, and where the record still points toward advanced-standing or direct board verification.

Residency pathways Advanced-standing Full licensure guide Open matcher Markdown mirror

Possible no-repeat signal

Jurisdictions where the sourced record signals a residency, GPR, AEGD, specialty, advanced-education, or similar alternative may apply.

Advanced-standing likely

Jurisdictions where Dentovio did not find a clean no-repeat route and the record points toward a CODA DDS/DMD or advanced-standing path.

Verify directly

Jurisdictions where public sources are unclear or source-conflicted, so the board should confirm the no-repeat question.

Direct answer

Some U.S. jurisdictions may let a foreign-trained dentist avoid repeating a full DDS/DMD, but the route is narrow and state-specific. Dentovio currently marks 16 jurisdictions with a sourced possible no-repeat pathway signal: Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia. 30 jurisdictions point primarily toward a CODA-accredited DDS/DMD or advanced-standing route, and 5 are marked verify. Confirm the current rule directly with the state dental board and program before relying on a residency, GPR, AEGD, specialty, equivalency, faculty, or limited-license route.

State no-repeat pathway signals

A possible signal does not remove board discretion, exam requirements, credential review, residency conditions, or program admissions. Treat every state row as a starting point for official verification.

Alabama

Advanced-standing likely

the sourced state record points toward a CODA-accredited DDS/DMD or advanced-standing route, not a clean no-repeat pathway for initial licensure

State	Signal	Pathway summary	Links
Alabama	Advanced-standing likely	Advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD only. Code of Ala. § 34-9-10(a) requires every licensure applicant to be a graduate of a dental school accredited by the ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).	Licensure Residency
Alaska	Possible no-repeat signal	CODA residency (GPR/AEGD) pathway accepted in lieu of a regional clinical exam. Under 12 AAC 28.940(a)(8)(D), an applicant may qualify by showing satisfactory completion of a clinically-based postdoctoral GPR or AEGD program of at least one year's duration.	Licensure Residency
Arizona	Advanced-standing likely	Advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD only. A.R.S. § 32-1232 requires a diploma (DDS/DMD) from a 'recognized dental school,' and A.R.S. § 32-1201 defines 'recognized dental school' as one accredited by the ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).	Licensure Residency
Arkansas	Possible no-repeat signal	CODA residency/advanced-education pathway accepted (no full repeat of dental school required). Under the board's Article IX (Credentials for Foreign Trained Dentists), a graduate of a non-CODA foreign dental school qualifies by EITHER (Option B)	Licensure Residency
California	Advanced-standing likely	Advanced-standing (international) CODA/Board-approved DDS/DMD required; residency does NOT bypass it. A graduate of a foreign dental school that is neither CODA-accredited nor Board-approved must complete a two-academic-year international/advanced-standing.	Licensure Residency
Colorado	Advanced-standing likely	Advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD only. Colorado Dental Board Rule (3 CCR 709-1) requires a doctorate (DDS/DMD) from a CODA-approved (or, by reciprocity, CDAC-accredited) dental school.	Licensure Residency
Connecticut	Possible no-repeat signal	CODA residency (postgraduate training) pathway accepted — no advanced-standing DDS/DMD required. Per Conn. Gen. Stat. 20-107 and DPH rules, a foreign dental school graduate (DDS/DMD or equivalent) may qualify by completing (1)	Licensure Residency
Delaware	Advanced-standing likely	Advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD only. 24 Del. C. 1122(a)(1) requires a DDS or DMD from a dental college/university accredited by CODA. Because CODA does not accredit dental schools outside the US/Canada, a foreign/non-CODA graduate must complete a US CODA.	Licensure Residency
District of Columbia	Advanced-standing likely	Advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD only. 17 DCMR 4202.1 requires the applicant to have (a) completed a dental education program at a CODA-recognized institution at the time of graduation and (b) received a US (incl. US territories) or Canadian DDS or DMD degree.	Licensure Residency
Florida	Advanced-standing likely	Advanced-standing / supplemental CODA program required — NOT a residency pathway. Under s. 466.006, Fla. Stat., a graduate of a non-CODA (foreign)	Licensure Residency
Georgia	Advanced-standing likely	Advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD only. Per GA Rule 150-3-.04, a graduate of a NON-accredited (foreign, non-CODA) dental school must show proof of successful completion, as a full-time student, of the last two years of a pre-doctoral program at an.	Licensure Residency
Hawaii	Advanced-standing likely	Advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD only. Hawaii Board FAQ (rev. 07.16.25) states only CODA-accredited DDS or DMD degrees are acceptable for dentist (DT)	Licensure Residency
Idaho	Advanced-standing likely	Advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD only. Idaho Admin Code 24.31.01.100.01 requires applicants to furnish proof of graduation from a program in dentistry accredited by CODA at the time of the applicant's graduation; Idaho Statute 54-915(2)	Licensure Residency
Illinois	Possible no-repeat signal	Residency/advanced-education pathway accepted (alternative). Under 225 ILCS 25/9(c)(2) and 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1220.100(b), a graduate of a dental school OUTSIDE the US/Canada may qualify by EITHER (A) completing a minimum of 2 academic years (2850 clock hours)	Licensure Residency
Indiana	Verify with board	Advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD (per rule text). 828 IAC 1-1-1 Sec. 1 requires ALL applicants for licensure to have 'graduated from a dental school accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Dental Association,' and IC 25-14-1-3 requires.	Licensure Residency
Iowa	Possible no-repeat signal	CODA residency pathway accepted (historically). Under former rule IAC 650—11.4 a foreign/non-accredited-school graduate could qualify by completing EITHER a postgraduate general practice residency of at least one academic year OR an undergraduate.	Licensure Residency
Kansas	Verify with board	Advanced-standing / supplemental CODA education (board practice), NOT a clean residency pathway in statute. Statute K.S.A. 65-1426 requires graduation from a board-approved dental school (schools held to CODA-equivalent standards);	Licensure Residency
Kentucky	Possible no-repeat signal	CODA residency (GPR / postgraduate general dentistry) pathway ACCEPTED — no repeat of dental school required. Kentucky offers a distinct 'Licensure by International Training' pathway for graduates of non-CODA-accredited (foreign)	Licensure Residency
Louisiana	Possible no-repeat signal	CODA postgraduate program (residency) pathway ACCEPTED — no repeat DDS/DMD required. An applicant who did NOT attend an accredited (CODA) dental school/college must successfully complete a post-graduate CODA-approved program in either general dentistry OR.	Licensure Residency
Maine	Verify with board	Case-by-case 'educational equivalent' review — NOT a strict advanced-standing-DDS-only rule, and no explicit fixed CODA-residency requirement. By statute (32 M.R.S. §18342) a dentist applicant must verify a doctoral degree (DMD/DDS)	Licensure Residency
Maryland	Advanced-standing likely	Advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD only for full (general) licensure. Md. Code, Health Occ. §4-302(d) requires the applicant to HOLD a DDS/DMD (or equivalent) from a college authorized by a U.S.	Licensure Residency
Massachusetts	Advanced-standing likely	Advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD only for full licensure. MGL c.112 §45 requires a diploma from a dental college accredited/recognized as accredited by CODA, and 234 CMR 4.03(3) (Initial Dentist Licensure by Examination)	Licensure Residency
Michigan	Verify with board	CODA post-degree/advanced clinical pathway accepted — a foreign (non-CODA) dentist does NOT have to repeat a full DDS. Michigan (Admin. Rule 650 / R 338.11xxx, 'Graduates of foreign dental schools')	Licensure Residency
Minnesota	Possible no-repeat signal	Foreign-training EQUIVALENCY pathway — a full CODA advanced-standing DDS/DMD is NOT strictly required. Minn. Stat. §150A.06 Subd. 1 provides that a graduate of a dental college in another country 'must not be disqualified from examination solely because of.	Licensure Residency
Mississippi	Possible no-repeat signal	CODA postdoctoral (2+ year) pathway — a full advanced-standing DDS/DMD repeat is NOT required, but foreign grads CANNOT use licensure-by-credentials (that is CODA-graduates only). Per Miss. Code Ann. §73-9-23(3), a foreign (non-ADA/CODA)	Licensure Residency
Missouri	Advanced-standing likely	Advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD only. RSMo 332.131 requires the applicant to be 'a graduate of and has a degree in dentistry from an accredited dental school.' A foreign (non-CODA)	Licensure Residency
Montana	Advanced-standing likely	Advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD only. MCA 37-4-301 requires 'a certificate of graduation from a board-approved dental school,' and MCA 37-4-302 provides that in determining recognized dental colleges the board is guided by the standards of the Commission on.	Licensure Residency
Nebraska	Advanced-standing likely	Advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD only. Neb. Rev. Stat. 38-1117 requires 'proof of graduation with a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree or a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from an accredited school or college of dentistry.	Licensure Residency
Nevada	Advanced-standing likely	Advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD only. NRS 631.230 requires the applicant to be 'a graduate of an accredited dental school or college'; NRS 631.015 defines 'accredited' as approved by CODA.	Licensure Residency
New Hampshire	Advanced-standing likely	Advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD only. NH requires graduation from a CODA-recognized DMD/DDS program. Per NH rules (Den 301/302), an applicant educated outside the U.S.	Licensure Residency
New Jersey	Advanced-standing likely	Advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD only. Graduates of dental programs outside the U.S./Canada (non-CODA) must complete two years of additional training in a CODA-approved program and receive a D.D.S. or D.M.D. degree. There is no CODA-residency-alone (GPR/AEGD)	Licensure Residency
New Mexico	Advanced-standing likely	Advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD (or equivalent CODA degree) required. NMSA 61-5A-12 and NMAC 16.5 require all dentist licensure applicants to have graduated and received a degree from a school of dentistry accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.	Licensure Residency
New York	Advanced-standing likely	Advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD required — a residency does NOT replace dental school. A graduate of an unaccredited/unregistered foreign dental school must complete not less than two academic years of study in a registered/CODA-accredited dental school.	Licensure Residency
North Carolina	Possible no-repeat signal	CODA residency (advanced dental education) pathway ACCEPTED. Under 21 NCAC 16B .0501 (licensure by credentials), an applicant who graduated with a certificate or degree from a CODA-accredited ADVANCED DENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAM (e.g.	Licensure Residency
North Dakota	Advanced-standing likely	Advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD required — residency/certificate alone is explicitly insufficient. The Board states a dentist educated outside the U.S./Canada must complete a CODA-accredited program and RECEIVE a DDS or DMD degree (or its equivalent);	Licensure Residency
Ohio	Possible no-repeat signal	CODA residency (GPR/AEGD) pathway accepted. A foreign-trained (non-CODA) dentist does NOT have to repeat dental school: completing a minimum two years of clinical training in general dentistry in a CODA-accredited General Practice Residency (GPR)	Licensure Residency
Oklahoma	Advanced-standing likely	Advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD only. The Board recognizes only students/graduates of dental schools in the U.S. or Canada that are approved, conditionally approved, or provisionally approved by CODA, and the applicant must have (or will receive) a D.D.S.	Licensure Residency
Oregon	Possible no-repeat signal	CODA residency (GPR) pathway accepted (as an alternative to a CODA predoctoral program), but under Oregon's 'license without further examination' rule. A graduate of a dental school outside the U.S./Canada qualifies by completing EITHER (a)	Licensure Residency
Pennsylvania	Advanced-standing likely	Advanced-standing CODA DMD/DDS only. A candidate educated outside the U.S. at a nonaccredited (non-CODA) school must submit credentials to a CODA-accredited (or provisionally accredited)	Licensure Residency
Rhode Island	Advanced-standing likely	For full/general licensure: advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD only. Applicants must present evidence of graduation from a dental school accredited by CODA (or its designated agency) — R.I. Gen. Laws 5-31.1-6(b)(1) and 216-RICR-40-05-2.4.6(A)(3).	Licensure Residency
South Carolina	Advanced-standing likely	Advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD only. SC Code Title 40, Ch. 15 (§40-15-140) requires 'satisfactory evidence of graduation from a dental college... accredited by the Commission [on Dental Accreditation]'.	Licensure Residency
South Dakota	Verify with board	Statutorily open but discretionary/board-reviewed — verify with the Board. SDCL §36-6A-44 states: 'Any foreign-trained or any other graduate from a dental program not accredited by [CODA] may apply for a license to practice as a dentist,' and directs the.	Licensure Residency
Tennessee	Advanced-standing likely	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)	Licensure Residency
Texas	Advanced-standing likely	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)	Licensure Residency
Utah	Advanced-standing likely	Advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD only. Utah Code §58-69-302(1)(c) requires 'satisfactory documentation of having successfully completed a program of professional education preparing an individual as a dentist as evidenced by having received an earned doctor's.	Licensure Residency
Vermont	Possible no-repeat signal	CODA residency pathway accepted: 26 V.S.A. 601(2)(B) allows licensure by exam for a graduate of 'a program of foreign dental training AND a postgraduate program accredited by CODA that is acceptable to the Board.	Licensure Residency
Virginia	Possible no-repeat signal	CODA residency pathway accepted: a foreign-trained dentist qualifies by holding a diploma/certificate from a CODA- or CDAC-accredited program that is EITHER a pre-doctoral (DDS/DMD)	Licensure Residency
Washington	Possible no-repeat signal	Two routes for a non-CODA / non-accredited-school graduate (WAC 246-817-160): (1) advanced-standing route — evidence of at least two additional predoctoral or postdoctoral academic years of CODA-approved dental education (must include clinical training if.	Licensure Residency
West Virginia	Possible no-repeat signal	Advanced-standing-style CODA program required (2+ years), which functions as a residency route only if it is a 2-year advanced program: W.Va. CSR 5-1-3.5 lets the Board license a foreign-dental-school graduate who holds certification of a TWO-YEAR (or more)	Licensure Residency
Wisconsin	Advanced-standing likely	Advanced-standing program required, NOT a standalone GPR/AEGD: under Wis. Admin. Code DE 2.01(1m)(d) a foreign dental school graduate must show EITHER (1) a DDS or DMD degree from an accredited (CODA) dental school, OR (2)	Licensure Residency
Wyoming	Advanced-standing likely	Advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD only. Wyoming Statutes 33-15-108(a) requires the DDS/DMD to be earned from a U.S. or Canadian college/university accredited by CODA, and the licensure-by-examination rule (Admin Rules 034, Ch. 3, Sec. 6(b)(iii))	Licensure Residency

Direct answer

State no-repeat pathway signals

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

District of Columbia

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Frequently asked questions