Dentistry
Dental Hygienist License Requirements
General Requirements
Any use of the title "Dental Hygienist" within New York State requires licensure.
To be licensed as a dental hygienist in New York State you must:
- be of good moral character;
- be at least 17 years of age for dental hygiene licensure by examination; be at least 21 years of age for licensure by endorsement of another state's license;
- meet education and examination requirements;
- have satisfactorily practiced for at least two years for licensure by endorsement; and
- be a United States Citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States (USCIS I-551 Status/"Green Card")
You must file an application for licensure and the other forms indicated along with the appropriate fee, to the Office of the Professions at the address specified on each form. It is your responsibility to follow up with anyone you have asked to send us material.
The specific requirements for licensure are contained in Title 8, Article 133, Section 6600 of New York's Education Law and Part 61 of the Commissioner's Regulations.
You should also read the general licensing information applicable for all professions.
Fees
The licensure fee is $128.
Fees are subject to change. The fee due is the one in law when your application is received (unless fees are increased retroactively). You will be billed for the difference if fees have been increased.
- Do not send cash.
- Make your personal check or money order payable to the New York State Education Department. Your cancelled check is your receipt.
- Mail your application and fee to:
New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions
PO Box 22063
Albany, NY 12201
Partial Refunds
Individuals who withdraw their licensure application may be entitled to a partial refund.
- For the procedure to withdraw your application, contact the Dental Hygiene Unit at opunit3@mail.nysed.gov or by calling 518-474-3817 ext. 270, or by fax at: 518-402-5354.
- The State Education Department is not responsible for any fees paid to an outside testing or credentials verification agency.
If you withdraw your application, obtain a refund, and then decide to seek New York State licensure at a later date, you will be considered a new applicant, and you will be required to pay the licensure and registration fees and meet the licensure requirements in place at the time you reapply.
Education Requirements
To meet the education requirements for licensure, you must have:
- earned a high school diploma, or the equivalent, and
- completed a New York State registered licensure qualifying or American Dental Association accredited dental hygiene program.
In addition, you must complete the following:
- Every applicant for licensure as a dental hygienist must
complete coursework or training in the identification and
reporting of child abuse1. Graduates of New
York State registered dental hygiene programs after September 1,
1990 complete this coursework in their dental hygiene program and
are not required to submit additional proof. All other applicants
must submit a certificate of completion from an approved provider
or file a claim of exemption before a New York State license can
be issued. Approved providers include many hospitals and schools
of dental hygiene in New York State. See the list of approved providers of this training. You
may be eligible for exemption from the training if you can
document, to the satisfaction of the Department, that your
practice does not involve professional contact with persons under
the age of 18 and that you do not have contact with persons 18 or
older with a handicapping condition, who reside in a residential
care school or facility. You may request an exemption by
submitting Form 1CE. If you have
questions about this requirement, please contact the Professional
Education Program Review Unit at oppleuca@mail.nysed.gov or
call 518-474-3817 ext. 360 or fax at 518-473-8577.
- Every licensed dental hygienist must complete approved coursework or training appropriate to the professional's practice in infection control and barrier precautions2, including engineering and work practice controls, to prevent the transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the hepatitis b virus (HBV) in the course of professional practice. Graduates from New York State registered dental hygiene programs after September 1, 1993 complete this coursework in their dental hygiene program. All other applicants must submit an attestation of compliance with or exemption from the infection control coursework requirements within 90 days of your date of licensure. Form 1IC will be sent to you along with your license. See the list of approved providers of this training. If you have questions about this requirement, please contact the Professional Education Program Review Unit at oppleuic@mail.nysed.gov or call 518-474-3817 ext. 360 or fax at 518-473-8577.
Examination Requirements
For licensure, you must obtain a passing score on both the written and clinical examinations explained below. You may be admitted to the examinations during your last year of study. You are responsible for contacting the examination agencies to obtain appropriate information and forms. Deadlines and examination application requirements may differ for each.
Written Examinations
The Department must receive verification of a passing score on the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination directly from that organization.
For application to take the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination or to transmit scores to the New York State Education Department, contact:
Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations
211 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611
Phone: 312-440-2678
Web: www.ada.org
Clinical (Practical) Examination
The Department must receive verification of passing scores on the North East Regional Board (NERB) of Dental Examiners clinical dental hygiene examination directly from that organization. The Department will verify NERB scores from 1994 to present.
If you fail any component of the Clinical Examination more than once, you will be required to complete additional education requirements at a dental hygiene school accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation before re-admission to the Clinical Exam. Specifically:
- After two failures in the dental hygiene comprehensive component of the clinical exam, you must complete 20 clock hours of instruction in each subject failed.
- After two failures in the clinical component of the clinical exam, you must complete 40 clock hours of instruction.
For further information on this requirement, please contact the State Board for Dentistry.
For application to take the NERB clinical dental hygiene examination or to transmit scores to the New York State Education Department, contact:
North East Regional Board of Dental Examiners, Inc.
8484 Georgia Avenue, Suite 900
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Phone: 301-563-3300
Fax: 301-563-3307
Web: www.nerb.org
Scores are not available by telephone from the Office of the Professions or the testing agencies.
Reasonable Testing Accommodations
If you have a disability and may require reasonable testing accommodations for the examinations, please contact both the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations and the North East Regional Board of Dental Examiners, Inc. for information. They can be contacted at:
Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations
211 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: 312-440-2678
Web: www.ada.org
North East Regional Board of Dental Examiners, Inc. (NERB)
8484 Georgia Ave., Suite 900
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Phone: 301-563-3300
Fax: 301-563-3307
Web: www.nerb.org
Three-Year Limited License
A three-year limited license in dental hygiene is available to qualified individuals who meet all requirements for licensure except for citizenship/permanent residence requirement and agree to provide services in a Federal Dental Health Professional Shortage Area of New York State.
Applicants Licensed in Another State
The Department may endorse a dental hygiene license issued by another state if the Department determines you have met New York's educational requirements, have passed a comparable licensing examination, have the required professional experience and have:
- met all dental hygiene application requirements;
- been licensed in another jurisdiction of the United States and practiced lawfully for at least 2 years (full-time) following initial licensure; 8 months of such practice must have been in the 2-year period preceding your application; and
- not failed a licensing examination used by the State of New York either prior to or after making application for licensure by endorsement, unless you have later passed a comparable licensing examination.
Dental Hygiene Anesthesia
To administer and monitor local infiltration anesthesia and nitrous oxide analgesia in the practice of dental hygiene, dental hygienists must meet additional requirements and obtain a Dental Hygiene Restricted Local Infiltration Anesthesia/Nitrous Oxide Analgesia Certification.
