# Foreign-trained dentist license in North Dakota

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

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

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 North Dakota board before acting.

## Pathway

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); it expressly notes that completion of an education program, INCLUDING a certificate program, that does not result in a DDS/DMD (or equivalent) is insufficient for licensure. A GPR/AEGD residency alone does not qualify.

## Required exams

Passing score on an exam administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (NBDE/iNBDE) or the National Dental Examining Board of Canada, plus a Board-approved clinical competency examination within five years of application. ND accepts ADEX (CDCA-WREB, incl. manikin-based) and CITA. Clinical exam components include periodontal, restorative (posterior composite/amalgam), Class III restorative, endodontic, and (after Apr 1, 2021) a fixed prosthetic component. Plus ND jurisprudence exam. WREB retired Dec 31, 2022.

## Notes

ND's international-dentist page is explicit that a certificate/residency that does not yield a DDS/DMD (or Board-assessed equivalent) will not qualify; the Board may also require an independent equivalency assessment and additional education. Foreign grads therefore need a CODA advanced-standing DDS/DMD.

## Official board source

- North Dakota State Board of Dental Examiners: <https://www.nddentalboard.org/practitioners/Dentist/Initial/international.asp>

## References

- Source 1: <https://www.nddentalboard.org/practitioners/Dentist/Initial/international.asp>
- Source 2: <https://www.nddentalboard.org/practitioners/Dentist/Initial/index.asp>
- Source 3: <https://www.ada.org/resources/careers/licensure/licensure-for-the-international-dentists>

## Related

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