Applications for the second cohort are now open. Apply now.

A new pilot program for internationally trained dentists towards practicing in Canada.

The Bridge Training to Dental Practice in Canada program (BTDPC) is a partnership between the Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry (ACFD), regulatory bodies, colleges, and dental schools, with funding from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).

Accreditation Approved

We are proud to announce that the ACFD Bridge Training to Dental Practice in Canada (BTDPC) program has officially achieved Preliminary Accreditation Status from the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada at all three pilot sites (University of Alberta, Dalhousie University and Université Laval). This milestone enhances the value of the program and streamlines the pathway for our applicants. What does this mean for you?

Streamlined Path to Licensure
Trainees who complete the BTDPC program for the 2026–2027 cohort and afterwards will no longer be required to write the NDECC. Instead, trainees will be eligible to move directly to the Virtual OSCE with the National Dental Examining Board of Canada (NDEB), and then apply for licensure to practice dentistry in Canada.

Expanded Eligibility Window
Our preliminary accredited status allows us to broaden our application criteria. Effective immediately, the validity period for the Assessment of Fundamental Knowledge (AFK) and the Assessment of Clinical Judgment (ACJ) has been extended. You are now eligible to apply if you have passed these assessments within sixty months (5 years) of the BTDPC application deadline, an increase from the previous three-year limit.

The Program

BTDPC is for individuals following the equivalency process to obtain licensure as a general dentist in Canada, and have yet to pass the National Dental Examination of Clinical Competence (NDECC). Applicants must be graduates of a minimum four-year recognised university dental program who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada on or before the deadline date for application.

This new program is currently in development and is undergoing pilot testing for two years at three locations:

• University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, in English
• Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in English
• l’Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, in French

The exact location where students will undertake training will be determined during the application process. The program is anticipated to be completed within eight months.