Licensure Information
Learn more about licensing requirements to practice dentistry in Washington state.
Foreign Trained Dentists
Graduates of non-CODA accredited and international dental school programs can apply for licensure in Washington if they meet the following criteria:
1. Provide certified copies of dental school diplomas
2. Provide official dental school transcripts
3. Provide proof of identification by an appropriate governmental agency
4. And provide satisfactory evidence of the successful completion of at least two additional predoctoral or postdoctoral academic years of dental school education at a dental school approved pursuant to WAC 246-817-110(2) and a certification by the dean of that school that the candidate has achieved the same level of didactic and clinical competence as expected of a graduate of that school.
Many dental schools, including the University of Washington School of Dentistry offer predoctoral training programs for foreign trained dentists. The University of Washington Intentional Dentists DDS Program (UWIDDS) offers qualified graduates of foreign dental programs the opportunity to earn their DDS degree at UWSoD. Once admitted, UWIDDS students begin a mandatory pre-clinical qualification course to review the first two years of dental school and then matriculate through the third and fourth years of the predoctoral dental program with classroom lectures and direct patient care. Postdoctoral training in specialties like orthodontics also fulfill this requirement.
1. Provide certified copies of dental school diplomas
2. Provide official dental school transcripts
3. Provide proof of identification by an appropriate governmental agency
4. And provide satisfactory evidence of the successful completion of at least two additional predoctoral or postdoctoral academic years of dental school education at a dental school approved pursuant to WAC 246-817-110(2) and a certification by the dean of that school that the candidate has achieved the same level of didactic and clinical competence as expected of a graduate of that school.
Many dental schools, including the University of Washington School of Dentistry offer predoctoral training programs for foreign trained dentists. The University of Washington Intentional Dentists DDS Program (UWIDDS) offers qualified graduates of foreign dental programs the opportunity to earn their DDS degree at UWSoD. Once admitted, UWIDDS students begin a mandatory pre-clinical qualification course to review the first two years of dental school and then matriculate through the third and fourth years of the predoctoral dental program with classroom lectures and direct patient care. Postdoctoral training in specialties like orthodontics also fulfill this requirement.
