Frequently Asked Questions

Each applicant for Fellowship in The Royal College of Dentists of Canada must meet the following requirements:

1. Completed a dental specialty training program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada (CDAC) or by an organization with a reciprocal accreditation agreement with CDAC.
2. Passed the RCDC Fellowship Examination.
3. Submitted proof of licensure as a specialist in Canada or, if outside of Canada, be eligible for licensure to be recognized as a specialist in their home jurisdiction. As of June 2022, those who do not yet hold a license as a specialist may provide confirmation of eligibility for licensure issued by their regulator instead.

For information on membership benefits, please click here.

The MRCDC designation was previously granted to a dental specialist who had not fully completed the examination requirements for Fellowship and was given the use of the term “Member” under rules available at the time. The last Memberships were granted in 1994.

You may use the designation of Fellow of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada (FRCDC) once your name has been called from the register during the Convocation Ceremony. To continue to use this designation, you must remain a Fellow in good standing, which includes the regular payment of Annual Dues.

A Fellow Elect is a dental specialist who has successfully completed the Fellowship Examination, whose completed application has been reviewed and approved by the Registrar and is waiting to officially become a Fellow at the Convocation Ceremony. Life Fellowship is granted to Fellows in good standing who are fully retired from active practice, whose request has been reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors.

No, attending Convocation is not mandatory. You automatically become a Fellow once your name has been read from the register during the Convocation Ceremony.

Annual Dues are levied from Fellows and Members and are payable by January 1 each year. As determined annually by the Board of Directors, dues are $550 CAD for the year 2023.

In order to update your contact information, please log into your RCDC account by visiting www.members.rcdc.ca/en/login and visit the Contact Information section. For assistance, please contact membership@rcdc.ca.

Fellows or Members who have fully retired from active practice are eligible to apply for Life Fellowship/Membership and be exempted from paying membership dues by the Board of Directors. A Life Fellow/Member is entitled to the usual benefits of being a member in good standing, including receiving College publications and participation in College activities. For more information, please click here.

In order to file a formal complaint against your dentist/dental specialist, please contact the dental regulator of your province. For a list of provincial dental regulators, click here. RCDC is not a regulatory body and has no authority to receive or act on complaints against dentists/dental specialists.

Click here to find a list of current RCDC Fellows and Members.

RCDC offers its own Job Board and it is updated on a regular basis. Click here to check current opportunities.

No. The Royal College of Dentists of Canada is not an educational institution and does not provide courses for dental specialists. However, RCDC does offer continuing education webinars for its members. Additional information can be found here.

For information about the requirements for licensure in Canada, contact the dental regulatory authority (DRA) of the province or territory in which you wish to register. You can find the relevant information here.

The College’s 2023-2026 Strategic Plan can be found here.

Dental specialists who volunteer their time and knowledge are the key to the College’s success. The current opportunities for Fellows of the College to get involved are as follows:

1. Examinations: The Fellowship Examination is created and delivered in large part by the dedication and hard work of over 250 dental specialists. Click here to find out about becoming an Examiner.

2. Governance: Annually, The Royal College of Dentists of Canada seeks Members-at-Large to join selected committees that report to the Board of Directors. Click here to find out more about current position(s) under recruitment.

To determine whether you are eligible to sit the Fellowship Examination, please consult the Eligibility section under Examinations here.

Yes. However, the Fellowship Examination is only administered once per year in each specialty. Applicants are welcome to challenge the examination in more than one specialty provided that they meet all of the eligibility requirements.

The Royal College of Dentists of Canada will make reasonable accommodations for candidates with special needs and/or religious restrictions. Applicants who require particular consideration must notify the Membership Department at membership@rcdc.ca as soon as possible after their application is submitted.

Study guides have been made available in order to illustrate the format of the Examination, specifically the way in which questions may be worded. The candidate study guide may be found here.

Following the Examination, candidates will be asked to complete an online survey regarding the Examination. All individual responses will remain confidential, and results will be used to improve future sessions and the candidate experience.

A candidate’s exam may be reviewed by RCDC only on the basis of suspected significant irregularities in the Examination process, not as a result of alleged errors in the Examination content. Such requests must be addressed to the Examiner-in-Chief and received by membership@rcdc.ca within 15 calendar days of the communication of examination results.

As of 2024, RCDC will once again administer the NDSE. More information is available on the NDSE website.