Georgia Board of Dentistry

The Georgia Board of Dentistry is the state regulatory body responsible for licensing and oversight of dentists and dental hygienists in Georgia. The Board has seventeen members: thirteen dentists, two dental hygienists, and one consumer member, all appointed by the Governor, plus one additional member appointed by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia who is familiar with the education of dental professionals in the state.

The Board is housed within the Department of Community Health at 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE, 11th Floor - East Tower, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, and can be reached at (404) 651-8000. The Board generally meets once each month.

The Board's authority covers the full lifecycle of dental regulation in Georgia: application review and licensure, biennial license renewal, complaint investigation through its Compliance and Investigations Division, disciplinary action, and enforcement of the Georgia Dental Practice Act (O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 11) and the Board's own rules (Georgia Administrative Code, Chapter 150). The Board also has authority to issue cease-and-desist orders against individuals practicing dentistry without a license.

Through its licensure process, the Board confirms that dentists and dental hygienists applying to practice in Georgia have the required education, examination scores, and personal history to safely practice. All online licensing services — applications, renewals, address updates, and license verification — are handled through the Board's eGov portal at gadch.mylicense.com/eGov. The Board also publishes monthly public board orders summarizing its disciplinary actions, going back to 2013, at gbd.georgia.gov/press-releases/monthly-public-board-orders.

The Georgia Board of Dentistry issues individual licenses and permits to dental professionals only — it does not license dental service organizations (DSOs), clinics, offices, or any other non-person entity.

Georgia dental license and permit types include:

• Dentist — full dental practice license.
• Provisional Dentist and Dentist — Temporary — limited-circumstance authorizations for dentists completing initial licensure requirements.
• Dental Faculty and Volunteer Dental — for dentists in dental-school teaching roles or providing volunteer services.
• Public Health — for dentists practicing in a public health capacity.
• Dental Hygienist — license for preventive and clinical hygiene services.
• Provisional Dental Hygienist, Dental Hygienist — Temporary, Dental Hygiene Faculty, and Dental Hygienist Volunteer — specialized hygienist license types.
• Conscious Sedation Permit, Enteral/Inhalation Conscious Sedation General Anesthesia Permit, and Provisional Conscious Sedation Permit — permits required in addition to a dental license for dentists who administer sedation or general anesthesia.

Georgia offers two initial licensure paths for dentists: licensure by examination (Board Rule 150-3-.01 and 150-3-.04) for new graduates, and licensure by credentials (O.C.G.A. § 43-11-41 and Board Rule 150-7-.04) for dentists already licensed in another state. Dental hygienists follow parallel tracks under the Board's hygienist rules.

Licensure by examination

Applicants must submit a notarized application with a $125.00 fee, together with: official license verifications from every other state ever licensed in (sealed envelope, dated within four months); an official dental school transcript (D.D.S. or D.M.D., ADA-accredited, sealed envelope); National Board scores sent directly from the ADA; results of an approved live-patient clinical licensure examination (Board Rule 150-3-.01); a National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) report; current CPR certification; two references; and full disclosure of any criminal or disciplinary history.

Licensure by credentials (for out-of-state licensees)

Georgia does not offer simple reciprocity based on time licensed elsewhere. Credentials applicants must submit a notarized application with a $3,025.00 fee and meet essentially the same documentation standard as examination applicants — including a passing live-patient clinical examination, National Board scores, an NPDB report, an employment affidavit documenting at least 1,000 hours per year of full-time clinical practice for the five years preceding application, and a malpractice questionnaire for any prior claims.

Jurisprudence examination (all applicants)

• Open-book exam covering Georgia dental law and Board rules
• Score of 75 or higher required to pass
• Score is valid for one year

From the time a complete application (requiring no further Board review) is received, it takes approximately 35 business days to issue a license. Georgia no longer mails free wall licenses or pocket cards; licensees can print a free PDF pocket card through the eGov portal or order a physical copy for a $25.00 fee.

Continuing education is required for every Georgia dental license renewal, on the same two-year cycle as the license itself. Requirements are set by Board Rule 150-3-.09 for dentists and Board Rule 150-5-.05 for dental hygienists.

CE hours by license type

• New licensees may submit proof of ADA-accredited dental coursework completed within the previous 2 years to satisfy the CE requirement for their first renewal period only.
• The Board provides blanket approval for CE offered by the Georgia Dental Association and its affiliated component and district societies.
• Licensees reinstating a lapsed license must submit proof of a full 40 (dentist) or 22 (hygienist) CE hours from the two years preceding their reinstatement application — those hours cannot also be counted toward the next renewal period.

The scope of dental practice in Georgia is defined by the Georgia Dental Practice Act (O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 11) and the Board's rules (Georgia Administrative Code, Chapter 150). The Board's disciplinary authority extends only to sanctions against an individual dentist's or dental hygienist's license — it has no jurisdiction over dental service organizations, clinics, or offices as entities.

Dentists who administer sedation or general anesthesia must hold a separate Board-issued permit in addition to their dental license: a Conscious Sedation Permit, an Enteral/Inhalation Conscious Sedation General Anesthesia Permit, or a Provisional Conscious Sedation Permit.

The Georgia Board of Dentistry enforces the Dental Practice Act through its Compliance and Investigations Division, which reviews complaints against licensed dentists and dental hygienists. The Board's jurisdiction is limited to sanctioning an individual's license — it cannot resolve fee disputes or personality conflicts.

Before filing: informal options

The Georgia Dental Association offers a free Peer Review and Ethics mediation program for patients with concerns about the appropriateness or quality of care, available regardless of whether the dentist is a GDA member. Note this process does not award punitive damages.

How to file a formal complaint

Complaints must be submitted in writing, either:

• Online — through the online complaint form
• By mail — using the downloadable Dental Complaint Form (PDF)

Include your full name, address, and phone number; the name and address of the licensee (verify this using the license verification tool); and a detailed description of the alleged conduct.

What happens after you file

The Investigative Committee Chairperson and staff first determine whether the Board has jurisdiction. Jurisdictional complaints with a possible violation are assigned to an investigator, who may request additional information. All investigative materials are confidential by statute. A complaint may be closed with no violation found, closed with a private letter of concern, resolved through a private or public consent order, or — if the licensee contests the findings — referred to a formal Administrative Hearing before an administrative law judge under the Georgia Administrative Procedures Act. Only public consent orders and formal hearing outcomes become part of the licensee's public record; the final decision may be appealed to the Superior Court of Fulton County.

Complaints outside the Board's jurisdiction include rudeness or poor customer service, billing/insurance disputes (except allegations of predatory billing), employer/employee disputes, and complaints against practitioners other than dentists and dental hygienists. Complaints about unlicensed practice may result in a cease-and-desist order, civil fines, a court injunction, and criminal prosecution by local authorities.

License status for Georgia dental professionals can be searched free of charge through the Board's verification portal at gadch.mylicense.com/verification. To search:

• Select a Profession (choose "Dentistry") and, optionally, a specific License Type from the dropdown.
• Search by Last Name, Last Name and First Name, or License Number.
• If unsure of spelling, use a wildcard: s* returns all names starting with "s"; *s* returns all names containing "s."
• This tool is for individual licensee verification only; a separate facility-search link is provided for facility licenses (which does not apply to dentistry, since Georgia does not license dental entities).

The Board also publishes Monthly Public Board Orders — PDF lists of formal disciplinary actions taken each month, archived back to 2013 — at gbd.georgia.gov/press-releases/monthly-public-board-orders. Months with no formal actions are marked "No Public Board Actions."

When the Board finds a violation of the Dental Practice Act or Board rules, it may impose a fine, reprimand, license suspension, or license revocation. Cases are typically resolved through a consent order between the Board and the licensee or, if contested, through a formal Administrative Hearing before an administrative law judge.