Internationally Educated Professionals

Questions about how to become a general dentist or a dental specialist in Canada?

➤ Contact the National Dental Examining Board of Canada

CDAC has reciprocal agreements with four other countries. As such, CDAC recognizes general dentistry programs accredited by the American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), the Australian Dental Council (ADC), the Dental Council of New Zealand (DCNZ), and the Irish Dental Council, CDAC also recognizes some Dental Hygiene, Dental Assisting and some dental specialty programs through these agreements.

Australia

Effective March 30, 2010, general dentistry programs accredited by the Australian Dental Council (ADC) are considered accredited by CDAC. Please note that the reciprocal agreement only covers general dentistry programs. Dental hygiene, dental assisting, and dental specialty programs are not included the reciprocal agreement and are not considered CDAC-accredited.

To find out if your program is accredited, visit the ADC website.

New Zealand

Effective December 15, 2011, general dentistry programs accredited by the Dental Council of New Zealand (DCNZ) are considered accredited by CDAC. Please note that the reciprocal agreement only covers general dentistry programs. Dental hygiene, dental assisting, and dental specialty programs are not included the reciprocal agreement and are not considered CDAC-accredited.

To find out if your program is accredited, visit the DCNZ website.

Ireland

Effective December 5, 2012, general dentistry programs accredited by the Irish Dental Council are considered accredited by CDAC. Please note that the reciprocal agreement only covers general dentistry programs. Dental hygiene, dental assisting, and dental specialty programs are not included the reciprocal agreement and are not considered CDAC-accredited.

To find out if your program is accredited, visit the Irish Dental Council website.

The chart below indicates at a glance which programs are recognized under our reciprocity agreements.

 

Graduates from international programs accredited by the organizations above are also recognized by CDAC. International dentistry professionals are thus  eligible to participate in the National Dental Examining Board of Canada (NDEB) Certification Process as graduates from Canadian accredited programs.

For more information on this process and for any further questions about becoming a general dentist in Canada, please visit the NDEB website.

Dental Hygiene

Graduates of Accredited Programs

CDAC recognizes CODA-accredited dental hygiene programs. Dental Hygiene graduates of a CODA-accredited programs are thus eligible to write the National Dental Hygiene Certification Examination.

Graduates of Non-Accredited Programs

Internationally educated dental hygiene professionals who wish to practice in Canada must apply for a formal equivalency assessment from the Federation of Dental Hygiene Regulators of Canada (FDHRC). They should also contact the regulatory college in the province in which they wish to work to determine any other licensure requirements.

The general process for graduates of non-accredited programs is as follows:

1. Granting of Equivalency Assessment
2. Successful Completion of Examination(s)
3. Demonstration of Language Proficiency
4. Occupational Training and Upgrading (if necessary)
5. Application for Registration/Licensure with the provincial regulatory body

For more information on this process and for any further questions about becoming a dental hygienist in Canada, please visit the FDHRC website.

Dental Assisting

Graduates of CODA Accredited Programs

CDAC recognizes CODA-accredited level II dental assisting programs. Graduates of a CODA-accredited program or a non-accredited program which has been granted exam eligibility by the National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB) are eligible to register for the NDAEB examination with proof of successful completion of the program, no further verification required.

Graduates of Non-Accredited Programs

Applicants from programs not recognized by CDAC and/or the NDAEB must submit an application to be considered by the NDAEB Candidate Eligibility Assessment Committee (CEAC). Applicants may not apply for the NDAEB Written Exam until they receive an official CEAC letter of approval. In some jurisdictions, graduates of non-accredited programs are also required to complete the NDAEB Clinical Practice Evaluation.

For more information on this process and for any further questions about becoming a dental assistant in Canada, please visit the NDAEB website.

Dental Specialties

Graduates of Accredited Programs

CDAC recognizes CODA-accredited dental specialty programs. Graduates from these programs may apply for the National Dental Specialty Examination (NDSE) through the Royal College of Dentists of Canada (RCDC).

Graduates of Non-Accredited Programs

Graduates of programs not recognized by CDAC may wish to apply for a  Dental Specialty Assessment and Training Program (DSATP) through one of the Faculties of Dentistry in Canada.

You can find a list of Canadian Dental Faculties here. For more information on Specialty Certification in Canada, please visit the NDEB website.

More Information

For information on any of the following, follow the link to contact the appropriate agency or organization:

• Specific information on certification for dentistry, via the National Dental Examining Board of Canada’s website at ndeb-bned.ca.
• Specific information on certification for dental hygiene, via the National Dental Hygiene Certification Board’s website at ndhcb.ca.
• Specific information on certification for dental assisting, via the National Dental Assisting Examining Board’s website at ndaeb.ca.
• For specific information on licensure, contact the regulatory authority in your province of practice: list of dental regulatory authorities.