Dentistry Schools and Programs in Canada

Dentistry Studies in Canada

Dentistry in Canada is a regulated profession with a single route to practice: a university dental degree, a national certificate and a provincial licence. The degree is a professional doctorate, called Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) or Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) depending on the university, and it is entered after previous university study, not directly from secondary school. For students from abroad two points matter before anything else: places are few and some faculties admit only Canadian citizens and permanent residents, and a dental degree obtained in another country is not enough on its own to practise in Canada.

SpainExchange lists 3 universities in Canada with dentistry programmes: the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, McGill University in Montreal and the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.

How the degree is organised

The DMD takes four years. The Canadian Dental Association (CDA) tells applicants to expect a minimum of 4 to 5 years at dental school. The three universities describe their programmes as follows:

• UBC's Doctor of Dental Medicine lasts 4 years and requires a minimum of three years (90 credits) of post-secondary study for entry.
• The University of Manitoba's DMD takes approximately four years after the required pre-dentistry study, which covers two years of full-time university courses. Students can also take a Bachelor of Science in Dentistry
• McGill University offers a four-year DMD and a separate DMD Advanced Standing programme for dentists trained abroad

Programmes are accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada (CDAC), which accredits Canadian undergraduate programmes in dentistry as well as specialty, residency, dental hygiene and dental assisting programmes. Graduates of an accredited programme meet the academic requirements for a licence.

Admission

According to the CDA, basic pre-dental courses in mathematics and sciences must be completed before enrolment, and the requirements vary from school to school. All Canadian dental schools require Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) scores. The CDA runs the test, which evaluates general academic ability, comprehension of scientific information, visual perception and manual dexterity; the test result is only one of the factors that schools consider.

Places for international students are limited. The University of Manitoba states that admission to its DMD is restricted to Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Applicants from abroad should confirm with each faculty whether it accepts international students before preparing documents. Universities also require proof of English or French language skills; teaching is in English at the three universities listed here.

Dentists who qualified abroad

The CDA explains that general dentists from outside Canada and the United States must obtain a Canadian licence regardless of their education or experience. To do so they complete an accredited dental programme, as a regular or degree completion student, or an accredited qualifying programme. McGill's DMD Advanced Standing for Foreign Trained Dentists is an example: it lasts three years, begins in September and places students in the second year of the four-year DMD. The University of Manitoba has an International Dentist Degree Program (IDDP).

The alternative is the Equivalency Process of the National Dental Examining Board of Canada (NDEB), for graduates of programmes that CDAC does not recognise. It consists of the Assessment of Fundamental Knowledge (AFK), the Assessment of Clinical Judgement (ACJ) and a clinical assessment (NDECC), and it gives access to the certification process.

Certification and licence

The NDEB states two requirements common to all provinces: a BDS, DDS or DMD degree and an NDEB certificate. Graduates of accredited programmes obtain the certificate through the NDEB certification process, which includes the Virtual OSCE examination. The certificate does not expire. The licence itself is issued by the dental regulatory authority of each province, which may ask for additional documents, jurisprudence tests and evidence of language proficiency.

After the degree, dentists can train in a specialty. As of March 2024 ten specialties are recognised nationally, among them orthodontics, endodontics, periodontics, pediatric dentistry, prosthodontics and oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Study permit and costs

Most foreign nationals need a study permit, which requires enrolment at a designated learning institution (DLI). The application fee is CAN$150 (Government of Canada, checked October 2026).

Dentistry is a costly degree. The CDA warns that tuition fees across Canada continue to rise and that most students need loans to finish; each faculty publishes its own tuition and equipment fees. For living costs, EduCanada, the Government of Canada's study portal, advises budgeting a minimum of CAN$23,000 per year (2026).

Careers

The career options that the CDA describes are private practice, as an associate or as the owner of a practice, academia, research and public health, as well as residency programmes for new graduates. The association represents over 21,000 practising dentists in Canada.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to become a dentist in Canada?

The DMD takes four years, after two to three years of previous university study depending on the faculty. Graduates then need the NDEB certificate and a provincial licence.

Can international students study dentistry in Canada?

It depends on the faculty. Places are few, and some programmes, such as the DMD at the University of Manitoba, are restricted to Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

Is the DAT required?

Yes. According to the Canadian Dental Association, all Canadian dental schools require applicants to submit Dental Aptitude Test scores.

Can a dentist trained abroad work in Canada?

Not directly. Dentists from outside Canada and the United States must complete an accredited or qualifying programme in Canada, or pass the NDEB Equivalency Process, then obtain NDEB certification and a provincial licence.