# Rhode Island foreign-trained dentist residency pathway > No residency-only route found for internationally trained dentists evaluating GPR, AEGD, CODA residency, or advanced-education options in Rhode Island. URL: https://dentovio.com/foreign-trained-dentist-license/rhode-island/residency-pathway Last verified: 2026-07-08 Research confidence: high Educational summary only, not legal, immigration, or admissions advice. Dental licensure rules change and program eligibility varies. Confirm current requirements directly with the Rhode Island dental board before choosing a program or filing an application. ## Direct answer In Rhode Island, the sourced state record generally points foreign-trained dentists toward a CODA-accredited DDS/DMD or advanced-standing pathway, not a residency-only route. 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). Confirm the current rule directly with Rhode Island Board of Examiners in Dentistry (RI Department of Health) before choosing a program or filing an application. ## Residency and advanced-education signal 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. ## Official board source - Rhode Island Board of Examiners in Dentistry (RI Department of Health): ## References - - - - - ## Related - [Foreign-trained dentist license in Rhode Island](https://dentovio.com/foreign-trained-dentist-license/rhode-island/index.html.md) - [Foreign-trained dentist residency pathway by state](https://dentovio.com/foreign-trained-dentist-residency-pathway/index.html.md) - [Foreign dentist license without repeating dental school](https://dentovio.com/foreign-trained-dentist-license-without-repeating-dental-school/index.html.md) - [Foreign-trained dentist advanced-standing pathway by state](https://dentovio.com/foreign-trained-dentist-advanced-standing/index.html.md) - [Foreign-trained dentist licensure by state](https://dentovio.com/foreign-trained-dentist-licensure/index.html.md) - [Foreign-trained dentist licensure matcher](https://dentovio.com/tools/foreign-dentist-license-eligibility)