Nebraska Board of Dentistry

Nebraska dental licensing is administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit under the Dentistry Practice Act (Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 38-1101 to 38-1153). The Board of Dentistry is a 10-member advisory board, created under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 38-1114, that recommends licensing decisions to the Department, approves acceptable clinical and jurisprudence examinations, sets continuing education standards under 172 NAC 56, and reviews complaint investigations before referral to the Attorney General.

By statute, the Board consists of:

• Six licensed dentists, including one official or instructional-staff member from each accredited dental school in Nebraska — currently Creighton University School of Dentistry and the UNMC College of Dentistry
• Two licensed dental hygienists
• Two public members

Under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 38-1115, the practice of dentistry includes the ability to "diagnose, treat, prescribe, or operate for any disease, pain, deformity, deficiency, injury, or physical condition of the teeth, jaws or adjacent structures." The DHHS Licensure Unit, on the Board's recommendation, issues the following dental credentials:

• Dentist (D.D.S. or D.M.D.)
• Licensed Dental Hygienist, with an optional Expanded Function Dental Hygienist permit
• Licensed Dental Assistant, with an optional Expanded Function Dental Assistant permit
• Dental Faculty License and Dental Resident License
• Dental Locum Tenens — a short-term license (up to 90 days in any 12-month period) for out-of-state dentists filling in temporarily
• Anesthesia/Sedation Permits: General Anesthesia/Deep Sedation, Moderate Sedation, and Minimal Sedation, each issued per practice location

Licensed dentists may administer inhalation analgesia (nitrous oxide) without a separate permit. Any other level of sedation requires the matching location-specific permit, and General Anesthesia/Deep Sedation and Moderate Sedation permits require an office inspection before issuance.

Dentists apply for a license through either the examination pathway (passage of an acceptable clinical examination within the past 5 years, per Neb. Rev. Stat. § 38-1117) or the reciprocity pathway (at least 1 year of active practice under an out-of-state license, per Neb. Rev. Stat. § 38-1120 as amended by LB148 in 2025). Dental hygienists and licensed dental assistants applying by reciprocity must show at least 3 years of active practice, one of which is within the last 3 years, under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 38-1121.

Initial dentist applicants submit the Application for License to Practice Dentistry to the DHHS Licensure Unit. Every applicant must:

• Present proof of a D.D.S. or D.M.D. degree from an accredited school or college of dentistry
• Pass the Integrated National Board Dental Examination (or Parts I and II of the National Board Dental Examination)
• Pass an approved simulation- or manikin-based clinical competency examination (e.g. ADEX, CDCA, CRDTS, CITA, WREB, or SRTA), taken within the past 5 years
• Pass the Nebraska Dental/Dental Hygiene jurisprudence examination, based on Nebraska statutes and rules governing dentistry
• Pass a criminal background check (Nebraska State Patrol or approved LiveScan fingerprinting, $55.00)
• Provide proof of federal DEA registration, but only if the applicant will prescribe controlled substances

Jurisprudence examination

The jurisprudence exam is taken online and requires a score of 75% or higher, per 172 NAC 56-003.01(C). It is currently hosted at proprofs.com.

Out-of-state licensees

Dentists licensed in another state or the District of Columbia for at least 1 year of active practice — including postgraduate or residency practice at an accredited dental school — may apply by reciprocity under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 38-1120. Dental hygienists and licensed dental assistants need at least 3 years of active practice, one of which falls within the last 3 years, under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 38-1121. Military spouses may instead apply for a temporary license under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 38-129.01.

Dentists wishing to volunteer during emergencies may register through the ESAR-VHP Program and Medical Reserve Corps.

On or before March 1 of each odd-numbered year, every dentist holding an active license must complete at least 30 hours of acceptable continuing education during the preceding 24-month period, per 172 NAC 56-007. Hours earned beyond 30 in a renewal period do not carry over to the next cycle. A dental locum tenens license and temporary dental licenses (which expire 1 year after issuance) are exempt from the CE requirement.

Category limits and minimums (172 NAC 56-007.04)

• Maximum 10 hours from home study or initial CPR certification
• Maximum 2 hours as a table clinician/lecturer, or for direct clinical observation
• Maximum 4 hours for CPR re-certification or practice management CE
• Maximum 5 hours for faculty overseeing dental clinic education of students
• Minimum 2 hours in infection control
• Minimum 6 hours in anesthesia/sedation administration and management, required only for licensees holding any level of sedation permit
• Minimum 8 hours of hands-on Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), required only for moderate and general anesthesia/deep sedation permit holders
• Maximum 2 + 2 hours (creation, then initial presentation) for CE presenters — repeat presentations of the same program earn no further credit
• Maximum 5 hours for volunteer activities such as a Mission of Mercy event
• Licensees who prescribe controlled substances must also meet the separate CE standard in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 38-145 (opioid/controlled-substance training)

Acceptable formats include state/national ADA or NDA meetings, district meetings and study clubs, formal or college-sponsored courses, home study with a testing mechanism, and dental public health, ethics, well-being, or infection-control programming. Each qualifying activity must run at least 50 minutes and the provider must issue a certificate of attendance.

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 38-1115 defines dentistry practice broadly — diagnosing, treating, prescribing for, or operating on any disease, pain, deformity, deficiency, injury, or physical condition of the teeth, jaws, or adjacent structures, including taking and interpreting dental X-rays, fabricating prosthetics, and administering anesthetics in connection with dental procedures.

Anesthesia and sedation scope

• Inhalation analgesia (nitrous oxide) — permitted for all licensed dentists, no separate permit required
• Minimal Sedation — requires a location-specific permit and approved training under LB80
• Moderate Sedation — requires a location-specific permit and a pre-issuance office inspection
• General Anesthesia / Deep Sedation — requires a location-specific permit and a pre-issuance office inspection

A change-of-location application is required for each permit a dentist holds whenever the dentist relocates their practice.

Controlled substances and DEA

Dentists who prescribe controlled substances must hold a federal DEA registration, validated at license issuance and updated quarterly. Credentialing organizations, hospitals, and pharmacies may obtain a user ID and password to check registrant information by contacting dhhs.licensuresupport@nebraska.gov; the public tool is the Federal Controlled Substance Registrant search.

Unprofessional conduct

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 38-179 and 172 NAC 56-008 define unprofessional conduct for dental licensees, including inadequate recordkeeping, exploiting a patient for financial gain, discriminatory refusal of service, fraudulent prescriptions or controlled-substance records, prescribing based solely on a teledentistry questionnaire without an established dentist-patient relationship, and failing to meet the location requirements for a sedation/anesthesia permit.

The DHHS Division of Public Health Investigations unit investigates complaints against licensed, registered, or certified dental professionals, as well as unlicensed dental practice, under the Uniform Credentialing Act and Uniform Controlled Substances Act. Complaints are filed online through the DHHS public complaint portal.

How a complaint is reviewed

When a complaint is received, the Department reviews it for legal sufficiency, considering whether it falls within the Department's authority, was filed in good faith (not maliciously or frivolously), was not delayed too long to justify investigation, and whether the alleged facts, if proven by clear and convincing evidence, would support discipline. If an investigation proceeds, the investigator prepares a report for the Board of Dentistry, which recommends a course of action to the Nebraska Attorney General. The Attorney General may file a disciplinary petition, negotiate a voluntary surrender or limitation of the license, or enter into an assurance of compliance.

Written complaints may be mailed to:

DHHS Division of Public Health Investigations
Attn: POL Investigation Unit
P.O. Box 94722
Lincoln, NE 68509

For questions about an existing complaint, call the Investigations line at (402) 471-0175 or email DHHS.InvestigationsPOL@nebraska.gov. Filing a complaint with the Department does not prevent you from separately pursuing a civil legal remedy, and the Department does not arbitrate fee disputes or insurance disagreements.

Mandatory reporting

Any credentialed dental professional with first-hand knowledge of unlicensed, illegal, or unethical activity — including their own conduct — must report it within 30 days. Failure to report can itself result in discipline.

Nebraska splits license verification and disciplinary-history research across two DHHS resources:

License Information System (LISSearch)

Use the Nebraska License Information System — select "Individual Search" — and search by the dentist's name to confirm current license status, license type, and expiration date. The system is updated regularly and is the fastest way to confirm a license is active before scheduling care.

Disciplinary action archives

Formal Board disciplinary orders and voluntary surrenders, across all Nebraska-licensed professions (not filtered to dentistry specifically), are posted as browsable PDF lists at the Disciplinary Actions page: a rolling 10-year archive plus the last three months, updated monthly, covering both Disciplinary Actions and Voluntary Surrenders in Lieu of Disciplinary Action.