Foreign-trained dentist license in Tennessee
In short, Tennessee requires a CODA-accredited advanced-standing degree (no residency-only route found).
Pathway
No full license on a non-CODA degree; a restricted LIMITED LICENSE is available via an ADA-accredited SPECIALTY program (not GPR/AEGD). Rule 0460-02-.03 (Limited and Educational Limited Licensure): a graduate whose transcript shows the equivalent of a DDS/DMD, plus an ECE course-by-course evaluation showing the equivalent of 4 years of US dentistry study, plus 'certification of successful completion of a graduate training program in a recognized specialty branch of dentistry from an advanced specialty program accredited by the American Dental Association,' plus the National Board exam. This limited license restricts practice to ADA-accredited institutions / dental education programs or federally-designated health professional shortage areas (HPSAs). For UNRESTRICTED licensure by exam, TN requires a CODA-accredited DDS/DMD (i.e., a foreign grad would need an advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD).
Required exams
National Board (JCNDE) — NBDE Parts I & II or the iNBDE; plus (for standard licensure by exam) a board-approved regional clinical exam — ADEX/CDCA, SRTA, CRDTS, CITA accepted (WREB retired Dec 31, 2022). TN Ethics & Jurisprudence exam required for all pathways.
Notes
The non-CODA pathway is a limited/practice-restricted license tied to completing an ADA-accredited advanced SPECIALTY program — a general-dentistry GPR/AEGD residency does NOT qualify. Full unrestricted licensure requires a CODA-accredited DDS/DMD.
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.
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