Connecticut Board of Dentistry

Connecticut separates dental licensing from dental discipline in a way few other states do. Dentist and dental hygienist licenses are issued, renewed, and administered by the Department of Public Health (DPH) through its Office of Practitioner Licensing and Certification (OPLC) / Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (PLIS). The Connecticut State Dental Commission is a distinct nine-member adjudicatory body, housed within DPH's Public Health Hearing Office, that hears and decides disciplinary matters.

Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-103a, the Commission consists of nine members appointed by the Governor: six practicing Connecticut dentists in good standing and three public members. No member may hold office in a professional dental association (or have held such office in the year before appointment). The Governor designates a chairperson from among the members. The Commission is unpaid, meets at least once per calendar quarter, and no member may serve more than two full consecutive terms (a rule in effect since July 1, 1980). A member who misses three consecutive meetings, or 50% of meetings in a calendar year, is deemed to have resigned.

As of the Commission's published roster, its members are: Peter S. Katz, DMD (Chair), Sarita Arteaga, DMD; Leslie Bumpus, DDS, MPH, MA; Monica Cipes, DMD; Mark Longobardi, DMD; Ross Sanfilippo, DMD; Deborah M. Dodenhoff, RN (public member); and Craig A. Fontaine, Esq. (public member) — with one public-member seat currently vacant. Connecticut residents interested in serving on a state board or commission may apply through the state's online boards-and-commissions application system.

Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-114, the Commission may take disciplinary action against dentists and dental hygienists for causes including fraud in obtaining a license, incompetence or negligence, criminal conviction related to the practice act, unlicensed practice, failure to meet continuing education requirements, and substance abuse affecting practice, among other grounds. Both DPH and the Commission operate under the same statutory umbrella — Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 379 governs the practice of dentistry.

Connecticut dental credentials are issued by DPH under Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 379 (dentists) and Chapter 379a (dental hygienists):

• Dentist — general practice license requiring dental school graduation, National Board of Dental Examiners (NBDE) exams, and a regional clinical board exam.
• Dental Hygienist — license for preventive and clinical hygiene procedures, with its own continuing education track and fee schedule.
• Provisional license for dental school faculty — allows dentists licensed in other jurisdictions to teach at Connecticut dental schools under a supervised faculty appointment.
• Residency training permit — issued to dental graduates completing an accredited postgraduate residency program in Connecticut.
• Permit for the Administration of General Anesthesia/Deep Sedation and Permit for the Administration of Moderate Sedation — two separate permits required before a dentist may administer anesthesia or IV moderate sedation beyond local anesthetic.

Connecticut also requires a controlled substance registration, administered separately by DPH, for any dental practitioner who prescribes or dispenses controlled substances.

Connecticut dental license applications are submitted online through eLicense (elicense.ct.gov), the state's unified professional licensing portal. Applications are accepted online only; first-time applicants must register before applying.

U.S. graduates

An applicant who graduated from a U.S. dental school must:

• Graduate from a dental school accredited or recognized by the American Dental Association;
• Successfully complete the National Board of Dental Examiners (NBDE) examinations; and
• Successfully complete all components of a regional board examination approved by the Dental Commission and DPH — the Commission on Dental Competency Assessments (formerly NERB), the Council of Interstate Testing Agencies, the Southern Regional Testing Agency, the Central Regional Dental Testing Service, or the Western Regional Examining Board.

Applicants who completed at least one year of graduate dental training as a resident in a CODA-accredited program, with the supervising dentist attesting to competency in all areas tested on the regional exam, may be exempt from the regional exam requirement (this exemption does not apply to foreign-educated dentists). Transcripts, National Board score reports, and exam results must be sent directly to DPH by the issuing institution/agency.

Other application paths

• Non-U.S. graduates — separate eligibility and documentation requirements apply to graduates of foreign dental schools.
• Licensed in another U.S. state for at least 4 years — see the endorsement details below.
• Reinstatement of a lapsed license — requires evidence of recent continuing education (see Continuing Education section).
• Faculty provisional licensure — for out-of-state dental faculty teaching at Connecticut dental schools.

Out-of-state licensees (4-year endorsement path)

DPH may issue a license to an applicant who (1) holds a current license in the same profession in at least one other U.S. jurisdiction, (2) has practiced for at least four years, (3) holds licenses in good standing in every jurisdiction where currently or previously licensed — with no revocation, discipline, pending unprofessional-conduct investigation, or voluntary surrender while under investigation — and (4) pays the standard application fee. Applicants using this path answer a work-experience question on the online application and are not required to submit transcripts or take an exam; state license verifications must still be requested from each state previously licensed in.

Connecticut sets separate, statutory continuing education (CE) requirements for dentists (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-126c) and dental hygienists, both measured over a rolling 24-month period even though licenses renew annually. One contact hour equals at least 50 minutes of CE activity.

Dentists: 25 contact hours every 24 months

• At least one contact hour in any three of ten DPH-mandated topics: prescribing controlled substances and pain management; record keeping/risk management; infection control; access to care; HIPAA compliance; medical emergencies in the dental office (including current CPR training); sexual assault and domestic abuse; cultural competence; mental health conditions common to veterans; and diagnostic technology.
• At least one contact hour in infection control in a dental setting (required for registration periods beginning on and after October 1, 2016).
• At least one contact hour in prescribing controlled substances and pain management.
• Up to 10 contact hours may be satisfied through volunteer dental practice at a public health facility (8 volunteer hours = 1 CE contact hour).

Dental hygienists: 16 contact hours every 24 months

• At least one contact hour in infection control in a dental setting.
• At least one contact hour in cultural competency.
• Up to 5 contact hours may be satisfied through volunteer dental practice at a public health facility (8 volunteer hours = 1 CE contact hour, capped at 5 hours per 2-year period).

Exemptions, waivers, and reinstatement

A licensee applying for renewal for the first time is exempt from CE requirements until the next registration period. DPH may waive or extend CE deadlines for licensees who are not in active practice or who have a documented medical disability or illness. A dentist whose license has lapsed must submit evidence of 12 contact hours of CE completed in the year immediately preceding reinstatement; a dental hygienist whose license has been void two years or less must submit 24 contact hours completed in the preceding two years, while a hygienist void more than two years must instead pass the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination, the NERB Dental Hygiene exam, or a DPH-approved refresher course. Licensees must retain CE documentation for at least three years and produce it to DPH within 45 days of a request; the Department does not pre-approve courses or maintain an approved-provider list.

Scope of practice for Connecticut dental professionals is defined by CGS Chapter 379 (dentists) and Chapter 379a (dental hygienists), and elaborated through DPH administrative rules and the Dental Commission's declaratory rulings.

New: cosmetic injections (HB 5514, effective October 1, 2026)

Connecticut's 2026 legislative session enacted House Bill 5514, signed by Governor Ned Lamont, which for the first time authorizes licensed dentists — after completing mandatory hands-on training — to administer cosmetic injections within specific facial anatomical areas:

• Lateral canthal lines (crow's feet) — neuromodulators only, not dermal fillers
• Nasolabial folds
• Lips
• Marionette lines
• Chin
• Dermal filler in the malar, zygomatic, or midface region, when the primary treatment site is the cheek/midface and the injection site remains inferior to the infraorbital rim

The law explicitly prohibits dentists from injecting the tear trough, infraorbital hollow, eyelids, medial canthal region, or other orbit-adjacent soft tissue for periocular volumization, and from injecting the forehead, glabella, or eyebrows for cosmetic purposes. Dentists intending to offer these services must notify their malpractice insurance carrier before performing them.

The same bill also allows dental assistants to take radiographs under general supervision (the supervising dentist need not be physically present, given prior authorization) and adds two new mandatory CE topic options (see Continuing Education section).

Anesthesia and conscious sedation

Dentists who administer general anesthesia/deep sedation or IV moderate sedation beyond local anesthetic must hold the corresponding DPH permit, each with its own documented training and equipment requirements.

Declaratory rulings clarifying practice boundaries

• Teeth whitening (2011) — addresses whether teeth-whitening services performed by non-dental professionals constitute the practice of dentistry.
• Licensing examination requirements (modified 2019) — clarifies examination requirements for licensure.
• Sleep apnea with oral appliance therapy (2022) — addresses treatment of sleep apnea using dental oral appliances.

Professional liability insurance

Connecticut dentists are subject to professional liability insurance requirements under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-162d as a condition of licensure; retired dentists who provide volunteer care must maintain equivalent coverage.

Complaints about Connecticut dental professionals are investigated by DPH's Practitioner Investigations Unit within the Health Care Quality and Safety Branch. If an investigation produces grounds for disciplinary action, the matter is referred to the Connecticut State Dental Commission for a formal adjudicatory hearing.

Connecticut offers two ways to file a complaint against an individual dental practitioner:

• Online via eLicense — select "File a Complaint/Claim" at elicense.ct.gov/Activities/Complaint.aspx. Logging in is optional but lets you save and track your submission.
• Fillable complaint form (English or Spanish) — download, complete, and submit by mail to Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Investigations Unit, MS#12HSR, P.O. Box 340308, Hartford, CT 06134-0308; by email to DPH.PLISComplaints@ct.gov; or by fax to 860-707-1916. Call 860-509-7552 to request a form be mailed to you.

You should receive written acknowledgment within two weeks of the Unit receiving your complaint. DPH advises reading its Practitioner Complaints FAQ before submitting, and notes that because its authority is limited to action against a provider's license, a Department or Commission action cannot result in monetary compensation to the complainant — civil claims must be pursued separately. Note also that DPH licenses individual practitioners, not dental offices themselves; complaints about non-licensed clerical/administrative staff cannot be resolved by the Department.

If the Commission finds grounds for discipline under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-114, it may impose sanctions ranging from reprimand to license suspension or revocation.

Connecticut provides two distinct public tools for checking a dental professional's license status and disciplinary history:

• eLicense license lookup — go to elicense.ct.gov and select "Lookup a License." Search by practitioner name or license number. According to the portal, all data is maintained by the state and updated instantly, and it is considered primary-source verification for Connecticut professional licenses. eLicense also offers a "Generate Roster(s)" tool and custom "Public Reports" of specified license activities.
• Regulatory Action Report — DPH publishes a compilation of disciplinary actions taken against all licensed individuals and organizations it regulates, updated on a quarterly basis, at portal.ct.gov/dph/regulatory-action-report. Reports from 2022 onward are posted as downloadable spreadsheets by quarter; earlier years are published as individual web pages back to 2013. The report covers every DPH-regulated profession, so dental-specific actions must be located within the broader listing.

Formal Dental Commission orders — which may include a reprimand, probation, suspension, or revocation following a disciplinary hearing under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-114 — become part of the licensee's public record and are reflected in the Regulatory Action Report once finalized.