License: Dental Hygienist

Department of Health Professions Board of Dentistry

6606 West Broad Street

4th Floor

Richmond, VA 23230-1717

(804) 662-9908

A. Dental hygiene licensure. An applicant for dental hygiene licensure shall have graduated from or have been issued a certificate by a program of dental hygiene accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association. B. Dental hygiene examinations. 1. All applicants are required to successfully complete the dental hygiene examination of the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations prior to making application to this board for licensure. 2. All applicants to practice dental hygiene shall successfully complete the board-approved examinations in dental hygiene, except those persons eligible for licensure pursuant to 18 VAC 60-20-80. 3. If the candidate has failed any section of a board-approved examination three times, the candidate shall complete a minimum of seven hours of additional clinical training in each section of the examination to be retested in order to be approved by the board to sit for the examination a fourth time. C. Dental assistant II certification. All applicants for registration as a dental assistant II shall provide evidence of a current credential as a Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) conferred by the Dental Assisting National Board or another certification from a credentialing organization recognized by the American Dental Association and acceptable to the board, which was granted following passage of an examination on general chairside assisting, radiation health and safety, and infection control. D. All applicants who successfully complete the board-approved examinations five or more years prior to the date of receipt of their applications for licensure or registration by this board may be required to retake the board-approved examinations or take board-approved continuing education unless they demonstrate that they have maintained clinical, ethical, and legal practice for 48 of the past 60 months immediately prior to submission of an application for licensure or registration. E. All applicants for licensure by examination or registration as a dental assistant II shall be required to attest that they have read and understand and will remain current with the applicable Virginia dental and dental hygiene laws and the regulations of this board. An applicant for dental hygiene endorsement licensure shall: 1. Be a graduate or be issued a certificate from an accredited dental hygiene school/program of dental hygiene recognized by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association; 2. Be currently licensed to practice dental hygiene in another state, territory, District of Columbia, or possession of the United States, and have clinical, ethical, and legal practice for 24 out of the past 48 months immediately preceding application for licensure; 3. Be certified to be in good standing from each state in which he is currently licensed or has ever held a license; 4. Have successfully completed a clinical licensing examination substantially equivalent to that required by Virginia; 5. Not have failed the clinical examination accepted by the board within the last five years; 6. Be of good moral character; 7. Not have committed any act which would constitute a violation of _x0015_ 54.1-2706 of the Code of Virginia; 8. Have successfully completed the dental hygiene examination of the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations prior to making application to this board; and 9. Attest to having read and understand and to remain current with the laws and the regulations governing the practice of dentistry and dental hygiene in Virginia.