Your Next Steps

You Cleared the INBDE. Here’s Your Roadmap From Here.

Preparing for the INBDE or just passed it? After the INBDE, most internationally trained dentists work on three things: picking schools, preparing for the TOEFL, and putting together the CAAPID application. Doing them in the right order saves you months.

See the 3 Next Steps
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The Roadmap

The Three Things To Do Next

You do not have to figure this out alone, and you do not have to do it all at once. Here is the order that saves the most time.

1
Pick your schools
Build your school list around your real profile, not wishful thinking. Some programs favor advanced standing candidates, others weigh research or U.S. exposure more heavily — your list shapes everything that comes after it, so get this right early.

2
Prepare for the TOEFL
Most CAAPID and PASS programs require a TOEFL score, and it can run alongside your school research since neither depends on the other. Treat it as its own exam, not a formality — a weak score can hold back an otherwise strong application.
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3
Put together your CAAPID application
Your SOP, CV, letters of recommendation, and school list all come together here — and this is the one step that genuinely needs your INBDE score, TOEFL score, and school list already in hand, which is exactly why it comes last.
Read More About Master the CAAPID Application
Enroll in Master the CAAPID Application

Why the order matters: picking your schools and prepping for the TOEFL can happen at the same time, but the CAAPID application needs both finished first, since it asks for your school list and your TOEFL score. Starting the application before either is ready is the single biggest cause of delay we see.

One Team, Every Step

A Course For Each Step, So You’re Never Guessing

The Study Boards has a course for each step — INBDE prep, TOEFL prep, and CAAPID help through CaapidUp — so you’re supported from your first exam to your final application.

The Complete Roadmap
See Every Step, Start to Finish
This page covers the three steps right after the INBDE. If you want the full 13-step roadmap — from your first ECE report to the day you sit for your State Licensure exam — it’s all mapped out with real costs and timelines.
See the Full CAAPID Roadmap
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300+ acceptances in 5 years running our CAAPID application program.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common Questions

Neither has to come first — you can research and shortlist schools while you prepare for the TOEFL, since the two do not depend on each other. What does depend on both is your CAAPID application, so finish these two before you start it.

You can start drafting your SOP and CV early, but your CAAPID application is not truly ready to submit until you have your TOEFL score in hand, since most programs require it as part of the application.

The Complete CAAPID Guide walks through all 13 steps of becoming a US dentist, from your CODA-accredited degree options to the day you sit for your State Licensure exam, with real 2026 costs and timelines for each one.