I agree with Shirish ji. Almost all the states in the U.S. require DDS before they issue professional licenses to practice dentistry. BDS graduates from Bangladesh or anywhere in the world will have to do further studies. DDS program takes 4 years but foreign dental graduates can enroll in accelerated program, which shortens the time from 4 years to 3 years. Unfortunately, not all dental programs accredited by the ADA have that – so you’ll have to contact each to find out (http://www.ada.org/prof/ed/programs/search_ddsdmd_us.asp). The great thing about the accelerated program is that you don’t have to take DAT (equivalent to GRE, GMAT, LSAT and MCAT) but you might have to take the Board’s Part 1 exam (NBDE Part 1). You can take Part 2 once you enroll in the DDS program. Those exams are required to obtain a dental license. This ADA site provides information for foreign dental graduates, http://www.ada.org/prof/ed/students/foreign.asp. For a Nepali, there are several challenges pursuing DDS in the U.S. First, the number of dental schools is very small – I think it’s fewer than medical schools – so it’s very competitive (Shirish ji has provided the dismal statistics). Second and more importantly, the cost is exorbitant – runs into hundreds of thousands of dollar. The cost is slightly lower in state schools but then you’ll have to prove your residency. If you are not a U.S. citizen or a Greencard holder or don’t have a superrich benefactor ;-) financing your DDS education would be almost impossible. The high cost of education is probably justified by the earning potential – the median salary of a typical dentist in the U.S. is about $120,000. A Nepali with a BDS can seek a job as a dental assistant but it is not as easy as it sounds. Many employers don’t want to train dental assistants and seek experienced assistants or those who have graduated from dental assistant programs in the US. Also there are licensing issues such as one needs license to operate x-rays etc. It is true that foreigners can apply for medical residency in the US with just MBBS but the other requirements are not easy (according to my understanding). Before foreigners can take Part 1 of the Board, they must have completed their medical internship and have practiced for at least one year in their home country. Also, residencies offered to foreigners are usually not in the best location – I guess that’s the compromise foreigner graduates have to make.