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Rhode Island

Foreign-trained dentist license in Rhode Island

In short, Rhode Island requires a CODA-accredited advanced-standing degree (no residency-only route found).

Pathway

For full/general licensure: advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD only. Applicants must present evidence of graduation from a dental school accredited by CODA (or its designated agency) — R.I. Gen. Laws 5-31.1-6(b)(1) and 216-RICR-40-05-2.4.6(A)(3). No GPR/AEGD residency-to-full-license pathway exists in the current rules, so a non-CODA foreign graduate must complete a CODA advanced-standing DDS/DMD. NOTE: a 2026 bill (S2862) creating a supervised LIMITED-license pathway for foreign-trained dentists passed the RI Senate on June 4, 2026 but had not been signed into law as of these sources — verify current status with the Board.

Required exams

NBDE Parts I & II (or iNBDE); ADEX exam (including the periodontal portion) within 5 years of application, scored via CDCA methods; OR a Board-approved equivalent clinical exam with 75% in each area; OR the CDCA Dental Simulated Clinical Exercise (DSCE, written) at 75%; OR endorsement based on 5 years of good-standing licensure in another state that required a clinical exam. (WREB retired Dec 31, 2022.)

Notes

Current codified rules (216-RICR-40-05-2) require CODA dental-school graduation for a dentist license — no residency substitution. The pending/newly enacted S2862 limited-license route (graduate of a reputable dental school + Board-approved exam + practice under direct then general supervision) is a separate, supervised, non-independent credential and was not yet law as of the latest sources (June 2026); confirm whether it has since been signed and what implementing regulations (e.g., health.ri.gov Dentist-Limited application) require.

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

Rhode Island Board of Examiners in Dentistry (RI Department of Health)

Visit the Rhode Island board →

References

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 Rhode Island board before you act. Try the eligibility matcher.