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 from The Commission on Dental Competency Assessments (CDCA) clinical dental hygiene examination directly from that organization. The Department will verify the American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX) scores from 1994 to present.
If you failed any component of the Clinical Examination prior to March 9, 2016, when the regulations changed (§61.7(e)) 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 application to take the ADEX clinical dental hygiene examination or to transmit scores to the New York State Education Department, contact:
The Commission on Dental Competency Assessments.
1304 Concourse Drive, Suite 100
Linthicum, MD 21090
Phone: 301-563-3300
FAX: 301-563-3307
Email: director@cdcaexams.org
Web: www.cdcaexams.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 Commission on Dental Competency Assessments 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
The Commission on Dental Competency Assessments
1304 Concourse Drive, Suite 100
Linthicum, MD 21090
Phone: 301-563-3300
FAX: 301-563-3307
Email: director@cdcaexams.org
Web: www.cdcaexams.org