New Mexico Board of Dentistry

The New Mexico Board of Dental Health Care operates within the state's Regulation and Licensing Department (RLD) and oversees the practice of dentistry, dental hygiene, dental assisting, expanded function dental auxiliary (EFDA) practice, dental therapy, and community dental health coordinator (CDHC) practice in New Mexico. The Board sets professional and educational standards for licensure, investigates complaints of unprofessional or unethical conduct, and takes disciplinary action when warranted.

Under the Dental Health Care Act (NMSA 1978, § 61-5A-8), the Board consists of nine members appointed by the Governor: five dentists, two dental hygienists, and two public members. The Governor appoints the dentist members from a list of names submitted by the New Mexico Dental Association. Dentist and public members serve five-year terms, and a simple majority of currently serving members constitutes a quorum, provided at least two are non-dentist members and three are dentist members.

A companion body, the nine-member New Mexico Dental Hygienists Committee (§ 61-5A-9), consists of five dental hygienists appointed by the Governor from a list submitted by the New Mexico Dental Hygienists' Association (one per district), plus two dentists and two public members who are elected annually to the committee from the Board's own membership. Hygienist committee members serve five-year terms, and no committee member may serve more than two full terms on a state dental board or committee.

Certified and carrier mail must be sent to the physical address, not the PO Box.

The New Mexico Board of Dental Health Care and Dental Hygienists Committee license or certify the following dental professions:

• Dentist
• Dental Hygienist (including Collaborative Practice and Public Health certifications)
• Dental Therapist
• Dental Assistant (with optional Expanded Function certifications in radiography, coronal polishing, topical fluoride application, and pit & fissure sealants)
• Expanded Function Dental Auxiliary (EFDA)
• Community Dental Health Coordinator (CDHC)
• Non-Dentist Owner (dental practice ownership registration)

Dentists may also hold Board permits for nitrous oxide, minimal sedation, moderate sedation, or deep sedation/general anesthesia, and dental hygienists may be certified to administer local anesthesia.

All applications, renewals, and license verifications are processed through the RLD online licensing portal. To confirm the current status of a New Mexico dental license, use the portal's public license search — no account is required.

New Mexico dentists may be licensed by examination, by credentials, or by temporary licensure. Requirements vary by pathway and license type.

Dentists

• By examination: graduation from a CODA-accredited dental school, a passing score on the Dental National Board Examination, a passing score on a WREB, CRDTS, SRTA, or NERB/ADEX clinical exam, a background status report through B&B Reporting, and a passing score on the Board's jurisprudence exam.
• By credentials: the same education and national board requirements, plus a valid license in good standing obtained by clinical exam in another state and held for at least five years, 60 hours of approved continuing education completed in the preceding 36 months, a B&B Reporting background check, and the jurisprudence exam.
• Specialty license: a postgraduate degree or certificate from a CODA-accredited program, completion of an ADA-approved specialty residency, and a passing score on a WREB, CRDTS, SRTA, or NERB/ADEX specialty exam.

Dental hygienists

• By examination: graduation from a CODA-accredited dental hygiene program, a passing score on the Dental Hygiene National Board Examination, a passing WREB, CRDTS, SRTA, or NERB/ADEX clinical exam, a B&B Reporting background check, and the jurisprudence exam.
• By credentials: the same education and national board requirements, plus a valid out-of-state license in good standing obtained by clinical exam, 15 hours of approved CE completed in the preceding year, a background check, and the jurisprudence exam.

Dental therapists

An applicant must already hold a New Mexico dental hygienist license, hold a degree from an accredited dental therapy education program as defined in Section 61-5A-13.1 NMSA 1978, pass a Board-approved clinical examination (valid in New Mexico for up to five years), apply directly to a Board-accepted examining agent, and pass the jurisprudence exam (16.5.61 NMAC).

Jurisprudence examination

Under 16.5.1.15 NMAC, every applicant must pass the Board's open-book jurisprudence examination with a score of 75% or higher. Licensees may also retake the exam once a year after initial licensure to earn 3 hours of continuing education credit toward renewal. A $25.00 fee covers the cost of administering the exam.

Out-of-state licensees

New Mexico does not offer blanket reciprocity. Out-of-state dentists and hygienists apply "by credentials" as described above, which requires a clinical-exam-based license held in good standing in another state (at least five years for dentists), recent continuing education, a B&B Reporting background check, and a passing score on the jurisprudence exam.

Continuing education (CE) is required as a condition of each triennial renewal, under NMAC Title 16, Chapter 5. All CE must be completed within the renewal period — July 1 through June 30 of the third year — and before the license is renewed.

CE hours by license type

Required subject matter (dentists and hygienists)

• Current BLS or CPR certification from the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, or American Safety & Health Institute/Health & Safety Institute — self-study courses are not accepted
• A course in infection control techniques and sterilization procedures, once per renewal period
• A course in ethics or dental jurisprudence covering the Dental Health Care Act and Board rules
• Dentists holding a sedation or general anesthesia permit must also complete the CE required under 16.5.15.20 NMAC

Dental assistants must also hold current BLS/CPR certification and complete an infection control course; assistants renewing a Radiography expanded-function certification need an additional 3 hours of radiographic technique or safety training.

Licensees may earn 3 CE hours toward renewal by retaking and passing the Board's jurisprudence exam (16.5.1.15 NMAC). CE records must be retained for four years, and the Board may select any renewal application for an audit at any time. Common audit failures include taking more than 8 hours of CE in a single day, taking an online CPR/BLS course, using a non-AHA/ARC/ASHI-approved CPR provider, or taking courses from non-approved sponsors. Licensees unable to meet requirements due to extenuating circumstances may request a written emergency deferral of up to four months before their license expires (16.5.1.7 NMAC); licensees living or practicing outside the United States are exempt for the period of their absence.

The New Mexico Board of Dental Health Care and Dental Hygienists Committee regulate the scope of practice for seven license and certification types: dentists, dental hygienists, dental therapists, dental assistants, expanded function dental auxiliaries (EFDA), community dental health coordinators (CDHC), and non-dentist owners. "Practice of dentistry" and "practice of dental hygiene" are defined in the Dental Health Care Act, NMSA 1978 § 61-5A-4.

• Dental hygienists generally practice under a dentist's general supervision. Hygienists certified for collaborative practice may work without general supervision under an agreement with a consulting dentist, and public health dental hygienists may practice without supervision in public and community medical settings, schools, hospitals, and long-term care facilities.
• Dental assistants work under indirect supervision — a dentist (or, in certain settings, a hygienist or assistant certified in expanded functions) must be present in the treatment facility while the procedure is performed.
• Expanded function dental auxiliaries and dental assistants with expanded-function certifications may perform radiography, coronal polishing, topical fluoride application, and pit & fissure sealant placement under supervision.
• Dental therapists are mid-level providers who must already hold a New Mexico dental hygienist license before applying for dental therapy licensure.

Dental hygienists do not need a separate Board permit to use dental lasers (16.5.29.12 NMAC). The Board has also published formal opinions and guidance on sedation, coronal polishing, dentist prescription authority, and protective stabilization of pediatric patients, available in the Notices section of the RLD Dental Health Care page.

The New Mexico Board of Dental Health Care investigates complaints from the public about unprofessional or unethical conduct by dental licensees and can take disciplinary action when warranted.

Step 1: Try to resolve the issue directly

Before filing a formal complaint, consider discussing your concerns directly with the dentist. If your dentist is a member of the New Mexico Dental Association (NMDA), you may also request NMDA's free Peer Review (mediation) service, which reviews clinical-care disputes — not billing or cost disagreements. This service is only available when the dentist is an NMDA member.

Step 2: File a formal complaint

Complaints are filed through the RLD's online Complaint Request portal, a multi-step process covering:

• Complaint instructions
• Individual/business information about the licensee
• Complainant/patient/consumer information
• Details of the complaint
• Witness information
• Supporting document uploads
• Confirmation

You can return to the same portal to check the status of an already-submitted complaint using your Complaint ID and last name.

Step 3: Follow up

To request copies of disciplinary records, Board meeting minutes, or other public documents, submit an Inspection of Public Records (IPRA) request.

New Mexico dental license status and disciplinary history can be checked through two official RLD tools:

• RLD License Search — confirms whether a dental professional currently holds an active New Mexico license, searchable by name or profession; no account is required.
• Discipline and Enforcement page — a searchable public table of Board disciplinary case files, listing the case number, licensee name, license number, and each board action taken (settlement agreements, stipulated agreements, decisions and orders, default orders, and compliance letters), with a downloadable copy of the underlying document for each action.

To request additional public records, such as Board meeting minutes or documents not posted online, submit an Inspection of Public Records (IPRA) request.