Should you be selected for the assessment, you will be required to attend in person for a duration of one week. If you further get selected to participate in the training, you will need to be in person for approximately eight months.

The BTDPC Program is anticipated to be completed within eight months.

The 8-month training locations are:

Alberta: University of Alberta
Nova Scotia: Dalhousie University
Québec: l’Université Laval

This program will not replace existing Advanced Placement programs some universities currently offer. It is another pathway for preparation for licensure for graduates from non-accredited programs.

No, it is not mandatory that all dental schools/faculties adopt the new program. Following completion of the two years of pilot program delivery, this program will be made available to all dental schools/faculties in Canada through the Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry (ACFD) and it will be up to the schools/faculties individually to develop a plan for its deployment.

The application process will be available for three pilot sites—the University of Alberta, Université Laval and Dalhousie University—in early 2026.

It is important to note that this program is for general dentistry training. Dental specialists are eligible to apply, however; the program is directed at training for general dentistry practice in Canada for graduates from non-accredited programs, not specialty practice in Canada.

Please note that this program is currently in development and will undergo pilot testing and evaluation for two years. Fees for the second pilot year in 2026 are not yet known.

Candidates who successfully complete the BTDPC Program will receive a certificate of completion from the dental faculty/school where they completed the program. To obtain licensure to practice in Canada, during the first pilot year of the BTDPC program (in 2025–26), candidates completing the program will need to write and pass the NDEB NDECC. However, for the second pilot year in 2026–2027, this may change, as the program evolves.

The ACFD BTDPC Program aims to provide participants with a broad range of learning activities to better prepare them for dental practice in Canada, rather than focus on preparing them for passing particular exams.

For the first pilot year in the 2025–2026 BTDPC program, candidates must successfully pass the NDEB NDECC to obtain licensure in Canada. However, the program has initiated the process of accreditation through the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada for the upcoming 2026–2027 pilot year. The results of this process may change these requirements. Information about accreditation and licensure requirements will be updated on this website before the end of January 2026.