The Best Dental Practice Marketing Strategies for Your Practice

In this blog, we review the best dental practice marketing strategies to make your dental practice grow.

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southgablesdental

There has never been a better time to practice dentistry in the United States. But not just any dental degree around the world will allow you to become a dentist in the U.S. Many times dental licenses and degrees don't translate over.

In this post, we'll discuss the roadmap non-US dentists can take to practice in the United States.

Steps to Obtain a US License to Practice Dentistry

Here are the basic steps that foreign trained dentists can take to get a U.S. dental license and practice in the U.S.

Step 1: Get Your Diploma and Credentials Evaluated By ECE or WES

Most United States dental schools will require that your foreign dental diploma transcripts be sent to an accredited evaluation institutes:

                        
1. ECE: Educational Credential Evaluators        
            
2. WES: World Education Services            

These professionals will compare your academic and professional degree obtained with another country’s academic and professional standards.

If your diploma was issued in another language, you’ll need to get it translated into English. 

Step 2: Prepare for the National Board of Dental Examination (NBDE)

After you get your diploma and credentials evaluated, you’ll need to prepare for the NBDE, or the National Board of Dental Examination, which is the U.S. national dental examination required for licensure in the U.S. and may be required when applying for postgraduate studies in dental specialties after completing your dental degree. Foreign dental students will also need to take this to get into advanced dental programs. 

This exam consists of 2 parts, NBDE I and NBDE II. Here is what’s included in each.

NBDE I

This exam consists of 400 questions emphasizing basic sciences such as:

                        
• Human Anatomy, Embryology, and Histology            
    
• Biochemistry and Physiology               
    
• Microbiology and Pathology                
    
• Dental Anatomy and Occlusion.  

NBDE II

The next exam is a 2 day focus of clinical dental topics including:

            
• Patient Management, including Behavioral Science, Dental Public Health and Occupational Safety  
            
• Periodontics  
            
• Endodontics 
            
• Operative Dentistry  
            
• Pharmacology    
            
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/Pain Control
            
• Oral Diagnosis  
            
• Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry   
            
• Prosthodontics 

Step 3: Take the NBDE Examinations

For taking the NBDE examinations, first look here for a step by step instruction.

You’ll need a DENTPIN, which is a personal identifier used to identify you before you take the NBDE exam.

Next, you’ll need to schedule your exam at a testing center in your area.

Step 4: Take the TOEFL Exam

The TOEFL exam is the official English as a second language exam used to test your proficiency in English at the university level. Many universities offer this test and program. 

Step 5: Improve Your Competitiveness as an Applicant

Getting into a U.S. dental school is difficult, they are extremely competitive.  One of the best ways to get into U.S. dental school is to gain dental experience in the United States. Many foreign trained dentists start in the U.S. as a dental assistant to get valuable dental experience. It also allows you to network with real dentists in the U.S., an invaluable endeavor. 

Step 6: Apply to a US Dental School

Once you’ve built up your competitiveness as an applicant, it’s time to apply to a U.S. dental school. You’ll need the above items as well as above average academic credentials, letters of recommendation, a personal interview and statement of interest that demonstrate your passion and communication skills (as we mentioned, you need to pass the TOEFL exam).

Learn Your Options for Legal Residency in the U.S.

In this post we discussed the process to get into U.S. dental school. But staying in the U.S. to work can be more involved and may require an immigration lawyer.