Applications for the second cohort closed on Feb. 28, 2026. Join our mailing list to be notified of future application dates.

About the Program

This program is for internationally trained dentists 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).

This new program is 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*

*Although the course is offered in French, a minimum knowledge of English is required. **Seats are awarded competitively, not in the order received. ***Class schedules may vary each week.

Key facts

Up to 8 months
1 intake of students per year**
9 core modules
4 individualized modules (will vary)
Full-time, weekdays***
In-person
Up to 10 students per site

Eligibility

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.

To be eligible to apply, you must:

Be a graduate of a minimum four-year university dental program not recognised by CDAC
Be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada, be a Convention Refugee with a notice of decision in Canada, or be a Protected Person in Canada on or before the application deadline
Have passed, within sixty (60) months of the application deadline, these NDEB exams:
- Assessment of Fundamental Knowledge (AFK)
- Assessment of Clinical Judgment (ACJ)

Next Intake Information

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

Why Study With Us?

Our program is university-backed and offers a strategic pathway towards practising dentistry in Canada. While many internationally trained dentists have yet to pass the NDECC, our eight-month curriculum provides a new licensure pathway for ITD to the virtual OSCE*.

This program is not a test-prep course or a degree-recertifying program; rather, it is an 8-month program that takes your existing expertise and fills in the missing competencies required for Canadian practice. By choosing this pathway, you can reduce the time to licensure compared to a traditional two to three-year degree recertification** program, while still getting your training from the university subject matter experts.

	BTDPC	*Qualifying programs**	Test prep programs
DDS/DMD degree granting	No	Yes	No
Clinical training	Yes	Extensive	No
Preparation for practice in Canada	Yes	Yes	No
Need to pass the NDECC	No*	No	Yes
Cost	$$	$$$	$$
Duration	8 months	2–3 years	Varies

Beyond technical skills, this program prioritises training you on the specific nuances of the Canadian health-care environment by focusing on cultural competency, patient care standards, and the essential human skills required to thrive in a local practice. This contextualising approach makes you a highly employable professional with a distinct competitive advantage when seeking employment.

* Subject to receiving accreditation status.
** Alternative names of the three-year degree recertification programs include: doctor of dental surgery advanced placement program, international dental/dentist degree program, advanced standing program, DMD advanced standing for foreign training dentists, doctor of dental surgery qualifying program.

Licensure After Completion

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.

Admission Process

Ready to discover more? Ensure you meet the admission requirements.

View Application Requirements