Education for Foreign-Trained Dentists in the United States: Currently Available Findings and Need for Further Research

Foreign-trained dentists interested in seeking employment in the United States face numerous challenges, starting with the fact that their degrees are often not valid for U.S. practice because of international differences in the style of education and clinical practice. A small number of North American dental schools have offered modified predoctoral programs for graduates of foreign dental schools since the 1970s, and currently, numerous U.S. dental schools offer such educational programs. The purpose of this literature review was to investigate what has been reported about barriers encountered by foreign-trained dentists in seeking professional opportunities in the United States, focusing especially on factors affecting the admissions process into predoctoral and residency programs, the learning process, and employment of foreign-trained dentists in the United States. This study concludes that published findings do not support the generalization that all foreign-trained dentists seeking employment in the United States have had the same barriers, and the authors conclude that there is a need for further research on this topic. Supplemental information can improve the transition of foreign-trained dentists into a culturally diverse environment. In addition, with greater availability of data, the need for the establishment of assistance programs for this population can be assessed.