Foreign-trained dentist license in New Mexico
In short, New Mexico requires a CODA-accredited advanced-standing degree (no residency-only route found).
Pathway
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. A CODA-accredited GPR/AEGD residency alone is not established as a standalone route to general licensure for a foreign (non-CODA) graduate — the underlying dental degree must be from a CODA-accredited school. (A separate CODA residency route exists only for specialty licensure.)
Required exams
Dental National Board Examination (NBDE/iNBDE) plus a Board-accepted clinical examination (historically WREB/CRDT/SRTA/ADEX-NERB) and the New Mexico jurisprudence exam. WREB was retired Dec 31, 2022 — confirm currently accepted clinical exams (e.g., CDCA-WREB/ADEX, CITA) with the Board.
Notes
Statute plainly ties general licensure to a CODA-accredited dental degree, so a foreign grad must complete a CODA advanced-standing DDS/DMD. The Board FAQ does not spell out a residency-only pathway. CODA advanced-education pathway in NM is explicitly for SPECIALTY licensure, not to substitute for the dental degree. Confirm exam specifics with the Board.
Residency pathway
No residency-only route found: the sourced state record generally points foreign-trained dentists toward a CODA-accredited DDS/DMD or advanced-standing pathway, not a residency-only route.
View residency pathwayCompare advanced-standingCompare no-repeat pathsView licensure examsOfficial source
New Mexico Board of Dental Health Care (Regulation & Licensing Department)
Visit the New Mexico board →References
- https://law.justia.com/codes/new-mexico/chapter-61/article-5a/section-61-5a-12/
- https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/new-mexico/N-M-Admin-Code-SS-16.5.8.9
- https://www.rld.nm.gov/boards-and-commissions/individual-boards-and-commissions/dental-health-care/faqs/
- https://www.srca.nm.gov/parts/title16/16.005.0008.html