# Foreign-trained dentist license in New Mexico

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

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

Last verified: 2026-07-08

Research confidence: medium

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

## 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.

## Official board source

- New Mexico Board of Dental Health Care (Regulation & Licensing Department): <https://www.rld.nm.gov/boards-and-commissions/individual-boards-and-commissions/dental-health-care/>

## References

- Source 1: <https://law.justia.com/codes/new-mexico/chapter-61/article-5a/section-61-5a-12/>
- Source 2: <https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/new-mexico/N-M-Admin-Code-SS-16.5.8.9>
- Source 3: <https://www.rld.nm.gov/boards-and-commissions/individual-boards-and-commissions/dental-health-care/faqs/>
- Source 4: <https://www.srca.nm.gov/parts/title16/16.005.0008.html>

## Related

- [Foreign-trained dentist licensure by state](https://dentovio.com/foreign-trained-dentist-licensure/index.html.md)
- [New Mexico dental license requirements](https://dentovio.com/dental-license-requirements/new-mexico/index.html.md)
- [New Mexico dental license reciprocity](https://dentovio.com/dental-license-reciprocity/new-mexico/index.html.md)
- [New Mexico dental licensure exams](https://dentovio.com/dental-licensure-exams/new-mexico/index.html.md)
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- [Foreign-trained dentist licensure matcher](https://dentovio.com/tools/foreign-dentist-license-eligibility)