License Requirements for Dentists

The practice of dentistry or use of the title "dentist" within New York State requires licensure.

To be licensed as a dentist in New York State initially or through endorsement you must:

• be of good moral character;
• be at least 21 years of age;
• meet education requirements;
• meet examination requirements;
• meet experience requirements; and
• complete coursework or training in the identification and reporting of child abuse offered by a New York State approved provider.

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 6604 of New York State Education Law and Part 61 of the Commissioner's Regulations.

You should also read the general licensing information applicable for all professions.

The fee for licensure and first registration is $377.

The fee for a limited permit is $105 (the limited permit fee is not refundable).

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.
• If you apply for licensure electronically using the online Application for Licensure, you will be required to pay by credit card.
• Other payments must be made by personal check or money order payable to the New York State Education Department. Your cancelled check is your receipt.
• Mail any required forms and fees to the indicated address on the form.

NOTE: Payment submitted from outside the United States should be made by check or draft on a United States bank and in United States currency; payments submitted in any other form will not be accepted and will be returned.

Individuals who withdraw their licensure application may be entitled to a partial refund.

• For the procedure to withdraw your application, contact the Dentistry Unit by e-mail at opunit3@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 fee and meet the licensure requirements in place at the time you reapply.

To meet the education requirements for licensure, you must present evidence of completion of:

1. not less than 60 semester hours of preprofessional education, including courses in general chemistry, organic chemistry, biology or zoology, and physics; and
2. a program of professional education consisting of either:
   • at least four academic years, or the equivalent thereof, in a program registered by the Department as licensure qualifying or accredited by an accrediting organization acceptable to the Department (see below for information about accredited dental programs); or
   • at least four academic years of dental education satisfactory to the Department, culminating in a degree, diploma or certificate in dentistry recognized by the appropriate civil authorities of the country in which the school is located, as acceptable for entry into practice in the country in which the school is located (see below).

If you completed a program of dental education in an unregistered and unaccredited foreign dental school, you must complete not less than two academic years of study satisfactory to the Department in a registered or accredited dental school program including such subjects as may be necessary for certification by such registered or accredited school that you have achieved the level of knowledge and clinical proficiency expected of a graduate of the school. If you have questions about acceptable programs, contact the New York State Board for Dentistry by e-mail at dentbd@nysed.gov, by phone at 518-474-3817 ext. 550 or by fax at 518-473-0567.

In addition to the professional education requirement, every applicant for dental licensure or a limited permit must complete coursework or training in the identification and reporting of child abuse in accordance with Section 6507(3)(a) of the Education Law. See additional information and a list of approved providers for this training.

Every dentist must also complete approved coursework or training appropriate to the professional's practice in infection control and barrier precautions, 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. See additional information and a list of approved providers for this training.

Accredited Dental Programs

For information about accredited dental programs in the United States or Canada, contact the:

American Dental Association
211 E. Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: 312-440-2500
Fax: 312-440-7494
Web: www.ada.org

or contact the State Board for Dentistry (see Contact Information).

Beginning January 1, 2007, all applicants for initial licensure must complete an approved clinically-based dental residency program of at least one year's duration. A clinical (practical) examination such as NERB will not be accepted for initial licensure after December 31, 2006.

If you are licensed as a dentist in another jurisdiction and have not completed an approved residency program, you must meet the endorsement requirements. (See Applicants Licensed in Another Jurisdiction (Endorsement) section.)

Dental Residency Programs

The Department must receive, directly from the residency program director, verification of completion of an approved residency program accredited for teaching purposes by an acceptable national accrediting body. Please refer to section 61.18(b)

For licensure, you must obtain passing scores on both Parts I and II of the National Board Dental Examination. The Department must receive verification of your passing scores directly from the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations. You are responsible for contacting the examination agency for obtaining appropriate information and forms.

Normally, dental students take Parts I and II of the National Board Dental Examination in the final years of dental study and their dental schools assist in the arrangements. If you completed a program of dental education in an unregistered and unaccredited dental school outside the United States, contact the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations for information on taking the examinations.

For an application to take the National Board Dental Examinations or for transmittal of scores to the New York State Education Department, contact the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (see Reasonable Testing Accommodations section for contact information).

Scores are not available by telephone from the Office of the Professions or the testing agency.

Reasonable Testing Accommodations

If you have a disability and may require reasonable testing accommodations for the examinations, please contact the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations for information. They can be contacted at:

Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations
211 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: 1-800-232-1694
Web: www.ada.org

If you are licensed as a dentist in another jurisdiction of the United States or a Canadian province and have fulfilled all the requirements for licensure including the experience requirements by completing an approved residency program, this section does not apply to you. You should apply for licensure based upon completion of the approved residency program (see Experience Requirements section for details).

If you have not completed an approved residency program of at least one year's duration and are licensed as a dentist in another jurisdiction of the United States or a Canadian province, the Department may endorse that license if the Department determines you have met the licensing requirements of New York State Education Law and the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education. To be licensed by endorsement, you must:

• meet New York State education requirements;
• have been licensed in another jurisdiction of the United States or a Canadian Province and practiced lawfully for at least two years (full-time) following initial licensure - 8 months of such practice must have been in the two years preceding your application;
• have passed an examination satisfactory to the board and in accordance with the Commissioner's Regulations (see Examination Requirements section for details.);
• be at least twenty-one years of age;
• be of good moral character as determined by the Department; and
• complete coursework or training in the identification and reporting of child abuse offered by a New York State approved provider.

To apply for a New York State license by endorsement, you must submit, or have submitted on your behalf, the following:

• Application for Licensure (Form 1) with a licensure and first registration fee of $377;
• Certification of Professional Education (Form 2) verifying that you meet New York State's education requirements;
• Verification of Other Licensure/Certification (Form 3);
• Personal Affidavit of Professional Practice of Endorsement Applicants (Form 4); and
• Supporting Affidavit of Professional Practice for Endorsement Applicants (Form 4A) to document two years of full-time practice; and
• a certificate of completion or a certificate of exemption for the child abuse identification and reporting training.

A limited permit allows a graduate of a dental college who has satisfied the education requirements for licensure in this State to practice dentistry only under the supervision of a New York State licensed dentist and only in:

• a registered school of dentistry or dental hygiene to instruct and supervise clinical dentistry or dental hygiene for students in that school and to practice dentistry only on the premises of that registered school or premises used for instruction; OR
• a hospital or dental facility approved by an appropriate agency and under the direction or supervision of a licensed dentist. No permit shall be issued or renewed unless you have a bonafide offer of a position in that hospital or dental facility, which has an accredited dental residency program.

A supervising dentist shall be present on the premises at all times when professional services are being rendered by a limited permit holder and will exercise supervision appropriate to the circumstances, according to Section 6605 (1) of the New York State Education Law. You may not begin practice until a limited permit has been issued.

To apply for a limited permit, you must submit, or have submitted on your behalf, the following:

• Application for Limited Permit (Form 5) with the limited permit fee of $105;
• Certification of Professional Education (Form 2) verifying that you meet New York State's education requirements*;
• a certificate of completion or a certificate of exemption for the child abuse identification and reporting training; and
• If licensed in another jurisdiction, Verification of Other Professional Licensure/Certification (Form 3).

NOTE: You do not have to file an Application for Licensure (Form 1). The limited permit cannot be issued until the Department has approved your education and has received all required documentation.

Your limited permit is valid for one year or until ten days after you are notified that your application for licensure was denied. A limited permit which has not expired may be renewed for one year. If you are serving in a residency program in a hospital, annual renewals are available until your residency is completed. To renew your limited permit for an additional year, you must submit a new Form 5 with the $105 fee.

*NOTE: For limited permits only, tentative completion dates may be accepted provided all requirements for graduation have been met; however, an updated Form 2 will need to be submitted when applying for licensure.

To employ general anesthesia, deep sedation, or conscious sedation (parenteral or enteral route with or without inhalation agents), dentists must meet additional requirements and obtain a dental anesthesia/sedation certificate from the State Education Department.

The requirements you must meet and the forms you must complete to obtain a dental anesthesia/sedation certificate are available on our Web site. Additional information regarding certification is available on our Web site or you may contact the State Board for Dentistry (see Contact Information).