Pathway Assessment Guide · For internationally trained dentists
Your background. Your options. Your next move.
Find out where you really stand on the road to practicing dentistry in the U.S., and what to do next.
Answer about 35 questions across five readiness areas. We score each one, match you to a pathway and a Plan B, work out a realistic application cycle, and send you a written roadmap with your next 30 days.
Secure payment by Stripe. You start right after checkout.
What you'll get
A written roadmap built from your own answers.
Your readiness score
Each of five areas scored 0–3, a total out of 15, and what that total means for your timing.
Your pathway and Plan B
Advanced standing, a state route, a bridge first, or a build-up plan, and why.
Your target cycle
The application cycle you can realistically aim for, counted back from exam lead times and deadlines.
Your next 30 days
The three things to do first, plus a dated action list for every area.
Plus: your estimated application budget, red flags to fix early (like a name that's spelled differently on your documents), and a reference table of pathways by state.
What we assess
Five areas. One key question each.
Every area is scored on the same 0–3 scale. A 0 anywhere is a blocker that changes the plan, whatever your total.
- 3
- Ready
- A strength
- 2
- Nearly ready
- Fixable within 3 months
- 1
- Gap
- 3–12 months to fix
- 0
- Blocker
- Fix before applying
- 01
Academic background
Can you prove a completed dental degree with an ECE course-by-course evaluation before the deadlines?
- 02
Clinical experience
Will you pass a bench test and a clinical interview at a U.S. standard?
- 03
English and exams
Will a passing INBDE and a competitive TOEFL be in place before your earliest deadline?
- 04
Application portfolio
Does your application tell one clear story: why you, why the U.S., why now?
- 05
Finances and logistics
Can you fund the application now and the program later, and go where the seats are?
How it works
Three steps, no account needed.
- Step 1
Pay securely
Checkout is handled by Stripe. You'll get a receipt, and a private link to your assessment by email.
- Step 2
Answer at your own pace
About 15 minutes across six short steps. Answers save after every step, so you can stop and continue on any device.
- Step 3
Get your roadmap
Your PDF is ready the moment you submit, and a copy lands in your inbox. Download it again any time.
Have these handy if you can:
- ECE status
- DENTPIN
- INBDE status
- TOEFL score + date
- CV
- Recommenders
- Budget
- States you'd live in
Don't have some of them yet? That's fine. That's exactly what the roadmap is for.
Where it can lead
The pathways we match you to
- 01
Advanced standing DDS/DMD
A 2–3 year program, applied for through CAAPID, leading to a degree recognized in every state.
Most common - 02
CODA residency
AEGD, GPR or specialty, through ADEA PASS, in states that accept residency as a route.
- 03
Credential review and exam authorization
In states like Minnesota, the board reviews your dental program, then lets you take the clinical exam.
- 04
Faculty license
For dentists drawn to teaching, with a faculty job offer from a hiring school.
- 05
Hygienist license
Income soon, or a bridge while you prepare for a DDS.
Questions
Good to know
- Who is this for?
- Dentists trained outside the U.S. who want to practice, specialize or teach here, whether you're just exploring or already preparing applications.
- How is the roadmap made?
- From your answers, using fixed scoring rules for each area and a step-by-step pathway decision. The same answers always give the same roadmap. No guesswork, no generic advice.
- What happens to my answers?
- They're stored securely so you can pause and come back, and so you can download your roadmap again later. We don't share them.
- How current is the information?
- Fees, test minimums, deadlines and state routes reflect the 2026–27 cycle as of November 2026, with sources listed in your roadmap. Rules change, so always confirm with each program and state board before you apply.
- Is this admissions or immigration advice?
- No. It's a structured readiness assessment and planning guide, made by dentists who went through the process themselves.
Ready when you are
Stop guessing. Get your roadmap.
$49, about 15 minutes, and a plan you can act on this month.