# Foreign-trained dentist license in Montana

> Montana pathway signal for internationally trained dentists: Advanced-standing route required.

URL: https://dentovio.com/foreign-trained-dentist-license/montana

Last verified: 2026-07-08

Research confidence: high

Educational summary only, not legal or immigration advice. Dental licensure rules change and the details vary; confirm current requirements directly with the Montana board before acting.

## Pathway

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 Dental Accreditation (CODA). A foreign/non-accredited graduate must therefore obtain a CODA-recognized DDS/DMD (advanced standing). No statute or rule found allowing full licensure via a CODA residency (GPR/AEGD) alone.

## Required exams

National board exam (iNBDE) plus a board-accepted regional clinical/practical examination per MCA 37-4-301 (WREB retired Dec 31 2022; ADEX/CDCA-type regional exams now used). Also a Montana jurisprudence component.

## Notes

Statute uses 'board-approved dental school'; approval is CODA-guided per 37-4-302, so effectively CODA is required. Confirm the specific accepted clinical exam(s) and any jurisprudence exam with the board's current application checklist.

## Official board source

- Montana Board of Dentistry (Dept. of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division): <https://boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov/dentistry>

## References

- Source 1: <https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0370/chapter_0040/part_0030/section_0010/0370-0040-0030-0010.html>
- Source 2: <https://archive.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0370/chapter_0040/part_0030/section_0020/0370-0040-0030-0020.html>
- Source 3: <https://boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov/dentistry>
- Source 4: <https://rules.mt.gov/gateway/ruleno.asp?RN=24.138.505>

## Related

- [Foreign-trained dentist licensure by state](https://dentovio.com/foreign-trained-dentist-licensure/index.html.md)
- [Montana dental license requirements](https://dentovio.com/dental-license-requirements/montana/index.html.md)
- [Montana dental license reciprocity](https://dentovio.com/dental-license-reciprocity/montana/index.html.md)
- [Montana dental licensure exams](https://dentovio.com/dental-licensure-exams/montana/index.html.md)
- [Montana foreign-trained dentist residency pathway](https://dentovio.com/foreign-trained-dentist-license/montana/residency-pathway/index.html.md)
- [Foreign-trained dentist licensure matcher](https://dentovio.com/tools/foreign-dentist-license-eligibility)