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Dentist

OCCUPATION INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW:

 

Who is the licensing body responsible for Dentists in Alberta?

In Alberta, you must be registered with the Alberta Dental Association and College (ADAC) to practice as a Dentist. Only registered members may call themselves Dentists.

What are the licensure requirements for internationally educated Dentists?

Internationally educated dentists must:
  1. Complete an accredited Qualifying Program.  
  2. Complete the National Dental Examining Board of Canada examination.  
  3. Complete the Alberta Dental Association and College Ethics and Jurisprudence examination
  4. Register with the Alberta Dental Association and College.

What is a Qualifying Program?

A Qualifying Program is intended for graduates of non-accredited dental programs, i.e. educational programs that have not been recognized by the Commission of Dental Accreditation for Canada (CDAC) or the Commission of Dental Accreditation for the United States (CODA). Its purpose is to prepare dentists to take the examinations of the National Dental Examining Board of Canada (NDEB), the same examinations that graduates of accredited dental programs must take to obtain certification.

In Alberta, the University of Alberta Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) Advanced Placement (APP) Program is a special university program held over a minimum of two academic years leading to the DDS Degree.

Applicant Criteria

The APP Program requirements are found on the website. It is important to be aware of application deadlines and admission requirements including: 

  • Fee’s and program costs
  • English proficiency requirement
  • Citizenship and Residence requirements
  • Academic Requirements
  • Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry (ACFD) Eligibility Exam results (see below)  
  • Document requirements: some required documents must be notarized and if your documents are not in English, a certified translation is required.  The Association of Translators and Interpreters of Alberta provides translation services.

Based on the results of the ACFD Eligibility Examination, dental school results and successful completion of the English Language Proficiency and Spoken English a personal interview is required. Applicants who are considered to have potential based on their application documents and successful interview may be selected for the Pre-Entry Examination. On completion of the Pre-Entry Examination, applicants may qualify to proceed to the Pre-Clinical Assessment course.

Selection process:

A successful applicant is chosen on the basis of: ACFD Eligibility Examination score, dental school results, interview results, successful completion English Language Proficiency and Spoken English requirement and successful completion of the Pre-Clinical Assessment course. This is a competitive program whereby only 3 to 5 applicants are admitted per year.

What is the Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry (ACFD) Eligibility Exam?

http://www.acfd.ca/

The Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry (ACFD/AFDC) facilitates graduates of non-accredited dental programs in becoming licensed practitioners in Canada by providing the Eligibility Examination (EE). The EE is an admissions requirement used by dental education institutions that provide a Qualifying Program or a Degree Completion Program. Applicants are encouraged to be aware of registration deadlines, examination criteria, exam fee, exam frequency and the turnaround time for exam results. Eligibility Examination centers are established at accredited dental programs across Canada provided that a minimum of 10 candidates apply at a location. Candidates are placed at the closest examination centre should the outcome be less than 10.

What is the role of the National Examining Board of Canada?

http://www.ndeb.ca/en/index.htm

Graduates of Accredited Dental Programs and Accredited Qualifying Programs are required to complete the National Dental Examining Board of Canada Written Examination and Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) for certification as a general dentist in Canada. The Written exam consists of multiple choice questions. The OSCE is a station type examination comprised of a morning session and an afternoon session on the same day. The Written and OSCE exam are offered three times per year. Applicants are encouraged to be aware of registration deadlines, examination criteria, exam fee, exam frequency and the turnaround time for exam results.

What are the registration requirements with the Alberta Dental Association and College (ADAC)?

http://www.abda.ab.ca/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx

An applicant must have completed the National Dental Examining Board of Canada examination and the Alberta Dental Association and College Ethics and Jurisprudence examination (administered in Edmonton). Applicants are encouraged to be aware of the required documents outlined on the ADAC website. Documents that are not in English must be translated. The Association of Translators and Interpreters of Alberta provides translation services. Once the application has been processed, ADAC contacts applicants to set a time to take the examination, and be registered with the Alberta Dental Association and College.

What are the educational requirements for Dentists in Alberta?

(Note: Licensing bodies compare international education and experience to Canadian standards)


The Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta in Edmonton offers the only four year program in Alberta that leads to the required degree, Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS). The entrance requirement is completion of at least two full years of study at an approved university or college with courses in inorganic and organic chemistry, physics, biology and English, statistics and introductory biochemistry. Admission requirements also include successful completion of the Dental Aptitude Test and a structured interview. If the applicant's first language is not English, a minimum score of 580 is required on a TOEFL exam.

Competition for admission to the DDS program is keen. Students should strive for a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.4/4 in their university courses. Students with less than a 3.0 GPA overall average or science-course average will not be considered.

Additional Occupational Information

For more information on occupational duties and wages, visit the Alberta Learning Information Service at. www.alis.gov.ab.ca and search for Dentist under occupational information.

What resources are available for Dentists in Alberta?

Association of Prosthodontists of Canada (APC)
website: www.prosthodontics.ca

Canadian Academy of Endodontics (ACE)
website: www.caendo.ca

Canadian Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (CAPD)
website: www.capd-acdp.org

Canadian Academy of Periodontology (CAP)
website: www.capd-acdp.org

Canadian Academy of Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics (CARDP)
website: www.cardp.ca

Canadian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (CAOMS)
website: www.caoms.com

Canadian Association of Public Health Dentistry (CAPHD)
website: www.caphd-acsdp.org

Canadian Dental Association (CDA)
website: www.cda-adc.ca

Canadian Association of Orthodontists (CAO)
website: www.cao-aco.org