Below is a list of questions regularly received by the College about the application process. If your question isn't listed here, please use the site search or contact our Registration department at registration@rcdso.org.
How will I know if my application has been received and if anything is missing?
You will submit your application to the RCDSO through our applicant portal. An application is received by the RCDSO as soon as the application fee has been paid. Once payment has been processed, the application status in the portal will automatically be updated to ‘In Process’.
Once staff have reviewed an application they will reach out to the applicant via e‐mail and will inform them of any outstanding documentation or information.
Applicants do not need to send any additional documentation to staff until that time.
Applications expire after 90 days.
If an application is still in process after 90 days from the date it was submitted, staff will confirm with the applicant if they still wish to proceed with their application. Applicants may be required to submit updated information or documentation if the declaration or Certificate of Standing have expired. Application files are not closed unless applicants choose to withdraw or are not responding to Staff correspondence to confirm the application status.
Applicants may choose to withdraw their application at any time. If your application is under review and you wish to withdraw it, please inform staff. Otherwise, you can withdraw your application in the Portal. Note: the $350 application fee is non-refundable.
If you wish to apply again in the future you will be required to submit a new application at that time and pay the application fee.
To download your receipt, first log in to the Portal, then navigate to “My Receipts” in the menu. From there you can print and/or download a PDF copy of your receipt.
Yes, you may submit your application before receiving your NDEB certificate number or before completing the online Ethics course. However, your license will not be issued until we are able to confirm that these requirements have been met.
You do not need to submit documentation to meet these requirements. Staff can verify your NDEB certificate number and successful completion of the Ethics course directly.
Members are typically registered based on the name that appears on their dental degree and/or citizenship documentation. Visit What You Need to Apply for more information.
Documentation is not shared between the RCDSO and other regulators or agencies. Each province/territory in Canada is regulated separately and you must meet the specific registration requirements in the province/territory in which you are registering.
All applicants must meet the same registration requirements, regardless of where they graduated from. To find out what documents you will need to submit, complete an application form in the Portal to generate your Document Upload checklist, or visit What You Need to Apply. You may still be asked to submit additional documentation once your application is under review by staff.
Individuals who have been accepted into a post-graduate specialty program or General Practice Residency may apply for either an Education/Graduate certificate or a General certificate.
Visit the Education certificate or Graduate Student certificate pages for more information on which programs are eligible for each license type. If you still have questions, contact the Registration department.
Anyone who has been registered/licensed to practice dentistry in another jurisdiction (whether in Canada, US, or Internationally), regardless of whether they have practiced in that jurisdiction, regardless of how long ago it was, must attest to that information in the application form and must request a Certificate of Standing. For more information, visit the Certificate of Standing page.
Staff do not confirm receipt of documents until the application review process begins. If you wish to confirm that your Certificate of Standing has been sent to the RCDSO, (university, regulatory body, etc) please confirm with that body directly. Otherwise, you will be advised of any outstanding requirements, including Certificates of Standing, once your application is under review.
Once you complete the application fee payment ($350), you can no longer make changes to it. Make sure you review the information on your application during the Review section before submitting it.
If you have submitted an application with an error, please wait until staff have contacted you about your application and inform them at that time.
Documents submitted for registration purposes that are not in English or French must be accompanied by a certified translation.
To find a certified translator in Ontario, you can contact the Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario.
The College requires copies of the original document(s) accompanied by the original translation.
Documentation is no longer required by mail and only scans of documents should be submitted by the applicant.
By law, all documentation received becomes the property of the College and will not be returned, e.g. Certificates/Letters of Standing.
You may submit an expired PR card or Canadian passport as these still verify that you have work authorization in Canada. An expired Work Permit, however, is not acceptable.
Applications are reviewed in the order they are received. Wait time between receipt of an application and initial review is typically 1-3 weeks. May to June, August to September, and November to January are peak times of the year for the College’s registration department. If your application is submitted during this time, the processing time may be delayed.
Completion of the entire registration process typically takes anywhere from 2-8 weeks, but this is a guideline only. Applications that are missing documents or requirements, have current or past professional, health or judicial history, or that have been referred to the Registration Committee may be delayed by several weeks.
It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure the timely delivery of all documentation and other information requested by the College. Applicants should follow up directly with third party organizations on the status of documents requested to be sent to the College.
Staff will communicate regularly with you regarding your application and steps in the process once it is under review. Once an application is approved, the applicant must make the final payment before the license can be issued.
When you have satisfied all of the registration requirements your application will go through a second stage review with the Manager, which takes 3-5 business days on average.
You will be informed once your application is approved and an option to pay the final fees will be available in the portal. Once the final fees have been paid, you will receive a confirmation of registration email which will include your member ID/license number. Staff will notify you by e-mail at each step of the process.
There is no option to be refunded, in full or in part, once your license has been issued, regardless of whether you have practiced in Ontario.
The College does not offer installment payment options at this time.
You are only eligible to start accepting patients after College staff have notified you that you are licensed to practice in Ontario. You will get a member ID number from the College and other registration details.
You may wish to contact the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) for information on CDAnet and ITRANS Claims Service, and the Ontario Dental Association (ODA) for information on billing codes and their Suggested Fee Guide. Both the CDA and ODA are non-regulatory agencies and you are not required to be registered with them to practice dentistry in Ontario.
All General, Specialty, and Academic licenses expire on December 31 and must be renewed by December 15 each year, otherwise a $500 late fee is applied. If your license is not renewed, it will be suspended for non-payment of fees. For more information on how to renew as a member, visit Annual Renewal.
Wall certificates are mailed out every 6‐8 weeks. Keep your contact information updated through the Member Portal so that your wall certificate will be mailed to the correct address.
Your information will be displayed on our Public Register using the 'Find a Dentist' tool in approximately 5 business days.
First, log in to the Portal, navigate to My Memberships - RCDS Register - Annual certificate. From there you can print and/or download the document.
Other questions?
