Licensure Requirements

College of Dental Medicine-Illinois

Dental graduates of U.S. Dental Schools can obtain full practice rights in all 50 states as well as many foreign countries. To obtain licensure, dental clinicians must meet the requirements established by individual states. Typically, states grant licensure in one of two ways:

1. The state accepts a certificate issued by the National Board of Dental Examiners and the state accepts a certificate issued by the Regional Board of Dental Examiners
2. The state honors formal or informal reciprocity agreement with another state(s) or issues a license by credentialing the certificate from another state

Postdoctoral requirements vary among states. For further information concerning licensure, please contact the American Dental Association or the specific state's licensing board.