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New Mexico

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 exams

Official source

New Mexico Board of Dental Health Care (Regulation & Licensing Department)

Visit the New Mexico board →

INBDE · written national board

Preparing for the INBDE?

The written national board is its own project alongside the state pathway. Dentovio builds INBDE prep specifically for internationally trained dentists — start with the international hub, the pass guide, or the free practice test.

References