Kentucky Board of Dentistry

The Kentucky Board of Dentistry (KBD) is a semi-autonomous state agency responsible for protecting the public by regulating the practice of dentistry under KRS 313, the Dental Practice Act. The Board is self-supporting — it receives no state appropriations and is funded entirely through licensing fees — and is a separate, distinct entity from any professional dental association. The Board does not lobby on behalf of the profession; it exists solely to protect the public interest. KBD currently oversees roughly 6,000 active licensees practicing in the Commonwealth.

The Board consists of 15 members: 10 voting members appointed by the Governor to four-year terms (7 licensed dentists, 2 licensed dental hygienists, and 1 citizen-at-large public member), plus ex officio members representing Kentucky's CODA-accredited dental schools (University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and University of Pikeville), two ex officio members representing the state's dental hygiene degree programs, and one ex officio member from the Department for Public Health.

The Board manages licensee accounts and credentials through the KBD Portal, a Thentia-based system, at kbd.portalus.thentiacloud.net. Rules, application materials, meeting minutes, and consumer resources are published at dentistry.ky.gov.

The Kentucky Board of Dentistry issues two license types:

• Dentist — required to practice dentistry in Kentucky, including general dentists and recognized dental specialists.
• Dental Hygienist — required to provide dental hygiene services under the supervision structure established by KBD rules.

Dental hygienists may also obtain optional registrations for expanded privileges, each carrying its own $50 registration fee: local anesthesia, general supervision, intravenous access lines, laser debridement, and public health registered hygienist status. The Board also issues limited Student and Faculty licenses to individuals in Kentucky dental school postgraduate, residency, fellowship, or teaching programs who do not yet meet the requirements for an unrestricted license.

Applications for both license types are submitted through the Board's Application Portal, and all active licenses can be verified through the KBD Portal.

The Kentucky Board of Dentistry confers licenses to dentists through three pathways and to dental hygienists through two pathways, as set out in 201 KAR 8:533 (dentists) and 201 KAR 8:563 (hygienists). Apply online through the Application Portal or by mailing paper application documents to the Board office.

General requirements (all applicants)

• Understand, read, speak, and write English
• Not be subject to disciplinary action that would prevent licensure
• Submit to a nationwide criminal background check
• Complete and pass the Board's jurisprudence exam
• Hold current CPR certification
• Verify any previously or currently held license in another state or jurisdiction
• Successfully complete the National Board Dental Examination (dentists) or National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (hygienists)

Licensure by Examination

Requires a DMD or DDS (or CODA-accredited hygiene degree) and a passing score, within the preceding five years, on one of the following regional clinical exams: CDCA-WREB-CITA, CRDTS, DLOSCE (dentists) or DHLOSCE (hygienists), or SRTA.

Licensure by Credentials (reciprocity)

Available to applicants who have actively practiced in any U.S. licensing jurisdiction for at least five of the preceding six years, hold a CODA-accredited degree, and have passed a recognized state, regional, or national clinical competency exam. Applicants submit an Affidavit of Active Practice and request license verification from every jurisdiction where they have held a license.

Licensure by International Training (dentists only)

Requires a passing TOEFL score (if English is not the applicant's first language), two years of CODA-accredited postgraduate training in general dentistry, and a passing score on one of the regional clinical exams listed above.

Kentucky dentists and dental hygienists must complete continuing education as a condition of biennial renewal, under 201 KAR 8:533 and 201 KAR 8:563. CE must be completed by December 31 of the licensee's renewal year (odd years for dentists, even years for hygienists).

General requirement: 30 hours per 2-year period

• At least 20 hours must be clinical continuing education directly related to improving skills as a practitioner
• Up to 10 hours may be business operations/practice management courses, volunteer clinical work at a charitable event, or dental association/society meetings
• At least 10 of the 30 hours must be completed in a live, interactive format (in person or live webinar)
• CPR certification must be maintained but does not count toward the 30-hour total

Special CE categories

• Recent graduates — no additional CE is required if licensed during the licensee's own renewal year; only 15 hours are required if licensed during the non-renewal year of the current two-year cycle.
• Prescribing dentists — dentists authorized to prescribe controlled substances must complete 3 hours (counted within, not in addition to, the 30-hour total) on KASPER, pain management, or addiction disorders. KASPER (Kentucky All Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting) is the state's prescription drug monitoring program; prescribing dentists must maintain a KASPER account.
• Sedation/anesthesia permit holders — Moderate Sedation and Deep Sedation/General Anesthesia permit holders must complete an additional 4 hours of classroom CE on sedation or anesthesia during their two-year permit term, on top of the 30-hour license requirement, and must maintain ACLS (adult sedation) and/or PALS (pediatric sedation) certification.

Kentucky law defines separate scopes of practice for dentists, dental hygienists, and (unlicensed) dental assistants under KRS 313 and 201 KAR Chapter 8.

• Dentists — full diagnosis, treatment planning, and treatment of oral conditions, including all procedures requiring the professional judgment of a licensed dentist.
• Dental hygienists — preventive, diagnostic, and periodontal services under the supervision levels established by Board regulation, including optional expanded privileges (local anesthesia, general supervision, IV access lines, laser debridement, public health registered hygienist status) obtained through separate registration.
• Dental assistants — not licensed by the Board; they perform reversible procedures delegated and directly supervised by a dentist. Assistants may not practice dental hygiene, diagnose oral conditions, create treatment plans, perform irreversible procedures, or administer injectable medications/anesthesia except as separately authorized. Expanded duties (coronal polishing, radiography, IV access lines) require specific training documented by the employing dentist.

Kentucky patients have the right to receive an appropriate standard of care. The Kentucky Board of Dentistry investigates complaints against anyone licensed or registered by the Board — dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants — but does not resolve fee disputes or award monetary restitution; complainants seeking financial recovery should obtain independent legal advice.

Step 1: Submit a written, signed complaint

Kentucky law requires all dental complaints to be submitted in writing and signed by the complainant, identifying the specific person or entity involved and verifying the facts as true. Anonymous complaints are generally not accepted, with narrow exceptions for emergency infection-control violations or licensee impairment (the Board's executive director may also initiate a complaint).

• Complete the Complaint and Medical Release Form
• Submit by mail to Kentucky Board of Dentistry, 312 Whittington Pkwy, Suite 101, Louisville, KY 40222
• Or fax to (502) 429-7282, or email kbd@ky.gov

Step 2: Board investigation and review

Complaints are assigned a case number and a staff investigator. Findings are reviewed by the Board's Law Enforcement Committee. If the committee finds no law was broken, the complainant is notified. If it believes a law may have been broken, the Board can file formal charges, leading to a public administrative hearing with lawyers, a hearing officer, and a court reporter.

Step 3: Outcome

Substantiated violations can result in penalties ranging from an agreed order to license suspension or revocation. The licensee is informed of the complaint and complainant, and may respond in writing. Formal charges and disciplinary actions become public record; patient records obtained during investigation remain confidential.

License status and disciplinary history for Kentucky dentists and dental hygienists can be searched through the Board's KBD Portal (a Thentia-hosted credential system) at kbd.portalus.thentiacloud.net/webs/portal/register. The portal lets the public search by practitioner name or license number to confirm active status and review any disciplinary action reflected on the credential record, and also supports searches for registered dental laboratories, sedation facilities, and mobile dental units.

How to look up a license or disciplinary record

• Visit the KBD Portal
• Search by practitioner name or license number
• Review the credential profile for current status and any disciplinary actions on record

The Board also publishes a static Disciplinary Actions archive of formal order PDFs, organized by year. The Board notes this list is for informational purposes and is not exhaustive — documents tied to ongoing investigations, older actions, and certain legally protected records are not posted. For a complete disciplinary account, submit an Open Records Request with the licensee's name or license number.

Licensees needing a formal Verification of Licensure to submit to another state board can log in to the KBD Portal and use the Document Request feature, or submit the printable Verification of Licensure form to the Board office ($40 fee).