(1)(a) It is the intent of the Legislature to reduce the costs associated with an independent state-developed practical or clinical examination to measure an applicant’s ability to practice the profession of dentistry and to use the American Dental Licensing Examination developed by the American Board of Dental Examiners, Inc., in lieu of an independent state-developed practical or clinical examination. The Legislature finds that the American Dental Licensing Examination, in both its structure and function, consistently meets generally accepted testing standards and has been found, as it is currently organized and operating, to adequately and reliably measure an applicant’s ability to practice the profession of dentistry.
1(b) Any person desiring to be licensed as a dentist must apply to the department. There is an application fee set by the board which may not exceed $100 and is nonrefundable.
(2) The department shall license an applicant who the board certifies meets all of the following criteria:
(a) Is 18 years of age or older.
(b)1. Is a graduate of a dental school accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation or its successor entity, if any, or any other dental accrediting entity recognized by the United States Department of Education; or
2. Is a dental student at an accredited dental school who has completed all the coursework necessary to prepare the student to perform the clinical and diagnostic procedures required to pass the licensure examinations. A dental school student who takes the licensure examinations during the student’s final year of an approved dental school must graduate before being certified for licensure pursuant to s. 466.011.
(c) Has successfully completed the examination administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations or its successor organization.
(3) If an applicant is a graduate of a dental college or school not accredited in accordance with paragraph (2)(b) or of a dental college or school not approved by the board, the applicant is not entitled to take the examinations required in this section to practice dentistry until she or he satisfies one of the following:
(a) Completes a program of study, as defined by the board by rule, at an accredited American dental school and demonstrates receipt of a D.D.S. or D.M.D. from said school; or
(b) Submits proof of having successfully completed at least 2 consecutive academic years at a full-time supplemental general dentistry program accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation. This program must provide didactic and clinical education at the level of a D.D.S. or D.M.D. program accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation. For purposes of this paragraph, a supplemental general dentistry program does not include an advanced education program in a dental specialty.
(4) Notwithstanding any other provision of law in chapter 456 pertaining to the clinical dental licensure examination or national examinations, to be licensed as a dentist in this state, an applicant must successfully complete both of the following:
(a) A written examination on the laws and rules of the state regulating the practice of dentistry.
(b) A practical or clinical examination, which must be the American Dental Licensing Examination produced by the American Board of Dental Examiners, Inc., or its successor entity, if any, which is administered in this state, provided that the board has attained, and continues to maintain thereafter, representation on the board of directors of the American Board of Dental Examiners, the examination development committee of the American Board of Dental Examiners, and such other committees of the American Board of Dental Examiners as the board deems appropriate by rule to assure that the standards established herein are maintained organizationally.
1. As an alternative to such practical or clinical examination, an applicant may submit scores from an American Dental Licensing Examination previously administered in a jurisdiction other than this state after October 1, 2011, and such examination results are recognized as valid for the purpose of licensure in this state. A passing score on the American Dental Licensing Examination administered out of state is the same as the passing score for the American Dental Licensing Examination administered in this state. The applicant must have completed the examination after October 1, 2011. This subparagraph may not be given retroactive application.
2. If the date of an applicant’s passing American Dental Licensing Examination scores from an examination previously administered in a jurisdiction other than this state under subparagraph 1. is older than 365 days, such scores are nevertheless valid for the purpose of licensure in this state, but only if the applicant demonstrates that all of the following additional standards have been met:
a. The applicant completed the American Dental Licensing Examination after October 1, 2011. This sub-subparagraph may not be given retroactive application.
b. The applicant graduated from a dental school accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation or its successor entity, if any, or any other dental accrediting organization recognized by the United States Department of Education. Provided, however, if the applicant did not graduate from such a dental school, the applicant may submit proof of having successfully completed a full-time supplemental general dentistry program accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation of at least 2 consecutive academic years at such accredited sponsoring institution. Such program must provide didactic and clinical education at the level of a D.D.S. or D.M.D. program accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation. For purposes of this sub-subparagraph, a supplemental general dentistry program does not include an advanced education program in a dental specialty.
c. The applicant currently possesses a valid and active dental license in good standing, with no restriction, which has never been revoked, suspended, restricted, or otherwise disciplined, from another state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
d. The applicant must disclose to the board during the application process if he or she has been reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank, the Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank, or the American Association of Dental Boards Clearinghouse. This sub-subparagraph does not apply if the applicant successfully appealed to have his or her name removed from the data banks of these agencies.
e.(I)(A) The applicant submits proof of having been consecutively engaged in the full-time practice of dentistry in another state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in the 5 years immediately preceding the date of application for licensure in this state; or
(B) If the applicant has been licensed in another state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico for less than 5 years, the applicant submits proof of having been engaged in the full-time practice of dentistry since the date of his or her initial licensure.
(II) As used in this section, “full-time practice” is defined as a minimum of 1,200 hours per year for each year in the consecutive 5-year period or, when applicable, the period since initial licensure, and must include any combination of the following:
(A) Active clinical practice of dentistry providing direct patient care.
(B) Full-time practice as a faculty member employed by a dental or dental hygiene school approved by the board or accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation.
(C) Full-time practice as a student at a postgraduate dental education program approved by the board or accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation.
(III) The board shall develop rules to determine what type of proof of full-time practice is required and to recoup the cost to the board of verifying full-time practice under this section. Such proof must, at a minimum, be:
(A) Admissible as evidence in an administrative proceeding;
(B) Submitted in writing;
(C) Further documented by an applicant’s annual income tax return filed with the Internal Revenue Service for each year in the preceding 5-year period or, if the applicant has been practicing for less than 5 years, the period since initial licensure; and
(D) Specifically found by the board to be both credible and admissible.
(IV) The board may excuse applicants from the 1,200-hour requirement in the event of hardship, as defined by the board.
f. The applicant submits documentation that he or she has completed, or will complete before he or she is licensed in this state, continuing education equivalent to this state’s requirements for the last full reporting biennium.
g. The applicant proves that he or she has never been convicted of, or pled nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, any felony or misdemeanor related to the practice of a health care profession in any jurisdiction.
h. The applicant has successfully passed a written examination on the laws and rules of this state regulating the practice of dentistry and the computer-based diagnostic skills examination.
i. The applicant submits documentation that he or she has successfully completed the applicable examination administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations or its successor organization.
(5)(a) The practical examination required under subsection (4) is the American Dental Licensing Examination developed by the American Board of Dental Examiners, Inc., or its successor entity, if any, provided the board finds that the successor entity’s clinical examination complies with the provisions of this section, and must include, at a minimum, all of the following:
1. A comprehensive diagnostic skills examination covering the full scope of dentistry and an examination on applied clinical diagnosis and treatment planning in dentistry for dental candidates.
2. Two restorations on a manikin that has typodont teeth with simulated caries as approved by the Commission on Dental Competency Assessments. The board by rule shall determine the class of such restorations.
3. A demonstration of periodontal skills on a manikin that has typodont teeth with simulated calculus as approved by the Commission on Dental Competency Assessments.
4. A demonstration of prosthetics and restorative skills in complete and partial dentures and crowns and bridges and the utilization of practical methods of evaluation, specifically including the evaluation by the candidate of completed laboratory products such as, but not limited to, crowns and inlays filled to prepared model teeth.
5. A demonstration of restorative skills on a manikin which requires the candidate to complete procedures performed in preparation for a cast restoration.
6. A demonstration of endodontic skills.
7. A diagnostic skills examination demonstrating ability to diagnose conditions within the human oral cavity and its adjacent tissues and structures from photographs, slides, radiographs, or models pursuant to rules of the board. If an applicant fails to pass the diagnostic skills examination in three attempts, the applicant is not eligible for reexamination unless she or he completes additional educational requirements established by the board.
(b) If the applicant fails to pass the clinical examination in three attempts, the applicant is not eligible for reexamination unless she or he completes additional educational requirements established by the board.
(c) The board may by rule provide for additional procedures that are to be tested, provided such procedures are common to the practice of general dentistry. The board by rule shall determine the passing grade for each procedure and the acceptable variation for examiners. Such rules may not apply retroactively.
History.—ss. 1, 3, ch. 79-330; ss. 13, 15, 25, 26, 30, 34, 62, ch. 80-406; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; ss. 8, 38, 41, ch. 82-179; s. 1, ch. 82-220; s. 1, ch. 83-172; s. 87, ch. 83-218; s. 4, ch. 85-156; ss. 5, 23, 24, ch. 86-291; s. 15, ch. 88-205; s. 10, ch. 89-66; s. 48, ch. 90-228; s. 2, ch. 90-341; ss. 13, 60, ch. 91-137; s. 7, ch. 91-156; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 251, ch. 97-103; s. 108, ch. 97-264; s. 1, ch. 2004-300; s. 3, ch. 2005-189; s. 2, ch. 2008-64; s. 9, ch. 2011-95; s. 1, ch. 2012-14; s. 23, ch. 2020-133; s. 1, ch. 2022-32; s. 1, ch. 2024-211; s. 12, ch. 2024-243.
1Note.—Section 12, ch. 2024-243, amended paragraph (1)(b), effective July 1, 2025. As amended by s. 1, ch. 2024-211, and s. 12, ch. 2024-243, effective July 1, 2025, paragraph (1)(b) will read:
(b)1. Any person desiring to be licensed as a dentist must apply to the department. There is an application fee set by the board which may not exceed $100 and is nonrefundable.
2. Applicants for licensure must also submit to background screening in accordance with s. 456.0135.
