New York Board of Dentistry

Dental licensure in New York follows a path different from most other states. Rather than a freestanding dental board, licensure is administered by the Office of the Professions (OP), a unit of the New York State Education Department (SED). The Board of Regents — which licenses individuals in more than 50 professions defined in Education Law — holds final authority over dental licensure and disciplinary matters in New York State.

Within this structure, the New York State Board for Dentistry is an advisory body that assists the Board of Regents and OP on matters of professional licensing and conduct. It does not independently issue licenses. Under Education Law § 6603, the Board must be composed of:

• Not less than 13 dentists, each licensed in New York for at least 5 years
• Not less than 3 dental hygienists, each licensed in New York for at least 5 years
• Not less than 1 registered dental assistant, licensed in New York for at least 1 year

Members are appointed by the Board of Regents on recommendation of the Commissioner of Education. An executive secretary — who must be a New York-licensed dentist — is appointed the same way; the Regents appointed Dr. Ana Calderon to that role in April 2025.

The statutory basis for dental licensure is Title 8, Article 133 (Sections 6601–6611) of the New York Education Law, together with Part 61 of the Commissioner's Regulations. The OP's dentistry pages at op.nysed.gov/dentists are the authoritative source for application, renewal, and misconduct information.

OP licenses three dental practitioner categories: dentists, dental hygienists, and registered dental assistants. As of January 1, 2026, OP reported 18,502 registered dentists statewide (14,764 with a New York mailing address, 3,575 registered from other states, and 163 from outside the U.S.); 813 new dentist licenses were issued in 2025 alone.

New York's Office of the Professions licenses three dental practitioner categories under Education Law Article 133:

• Dentist — the full-practice license issued under Education Law § 6604, requiring a professional dental degree, passing scores on both parts of the National Board Dental Examination, and (since January 1, 2007) completion of an approved one-year dental residency.
• Dental Hygienist — licensed under Education Law § 6606 for preventive and clinical hygiene services performed under the supervision of, or in delegation from, a licensed dentist.
• Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) — licensed under Education Law § 6608; New York's credentialed dental assistant designation.

OP also issues two supplemental credentials tied to the dentist license:

• Limited permit — issued to dental school graduates who have met New York's education requirements but not yet completed licensure. Permit holders may practice only in a registered dental school or an approved hospital/dental facility with an accredited residency program, and only under a supervising dentist who is present on the premises at all times services are rendered. Valid for one year and renewable.
• Dental anesthesia/sedation certificate — required for dentists who administer general anesthesia, deep sedation, or conscious sedation (parenteral or enteral, with or without inhalation agents), issued separately from the base dental license.

Dental licensure applications go to the Office of the Professions at the State Education Department. Applicants file Form 1 (Application for Licensure) with supporting documentation and the applicable fee. Electronic applications are paid by credit card; paper applications use a personal check or money order payable to the New York State Education Department. Cash is not accepted.

Requirements for initial licensure

To be licensed as a dentist in New York, applicants must:

• Be of good moral character and at least 21 years of age
• Complete at least 60 semester hours of preprofessional education, including general chemistry, organic chemistry, biology or zoology, and physics
• Complete at least 4 academic years of professional dental education at a program registered or accredited as acceptable to the Department, or an equivalent foreign dental degree
• Pass both Parts I and II of the National Board Dental Examination, with scores sent directly from the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations
• Complete an approved dental residency program of at least one year — required for all initial licensure applicants since January 1, 2007; a clinical/practical exam such as NERB is not accepted for initial licensure after that date
• Complete coursework in the identification and reporting of child abuse from a New York State-approved provider
• Complete approved coursework in infection control and barrier precautions, including HIV and hepatitis B prevention, within 90 days of licensure

Fees

The fee for initial dental licensure and first registration is $377. The fee for a limited permit is $105 (non-refundable). Registered dental hygienists pay $128 for licensure and first registration; registered dental assistants pay $103, with a $40 limited-permit fee. Individuals who withdraw an application before it is completed may be entitled to a partial refund; contact the Dentistry Unit at opunit3@nysed.gov or 518-474-3817 ext. 270.

Licensure by endorsement (out-of-state applicants)

Dentists licensed in another U.S. jurisdiction or Canadian province who have not completed an approved one-year residency may apply for endorsement if they: meet New York's education requirements; have practiced lawfully and full-time for at least 2 years following initial licensure (at least 8 months of that within the 2 years preceding application); passed an examination satisfactory to the Board; are at least 21; are of good moral character; and complete the child abuse identification training. Endorsement applicants submit Form 1 with the $377 fee, Certification of Professional Education (Form 2), Verification of Other Licensure (Form 3), Personal Affidavit of Professional Practice (Form 4), and Supporting Affidavit (Form 4A). Dentists who completed an approved residency should instead apply on that basis, not by endorsement.

Continuing education (CE) is required to renew a New York dental or dental hygiene license. Requirements are set by Education Law and enforced at re-registration; New York's State Board for Dentistry does not maintain or have access to licensees' CE records, so documentation should be kept by the licensee. Licensees are not required to complete CE during their first 3-year registration period, unless licensed by endorsement, in which case CE applies immediately.

CE hours by license type (per 3-year registration period)

For a registration period shorter than 3 years (common when a first period is adjusted to the licensee's birth month), dentists calculate required hours as 1.667 hours per month registered; hygienists use 0.67 hours per month.

One-time and recurring subject requirements for dentists

• A one-time 2-hour course on the oral health effects of tobacco, completed during the licensee's first registration period with a CE requirement
• A one-time 3-hour course in dental jurisprudence and ethics, completed during the first registration period beginning on or after January 1, 2008 in which the licensee has a CE requirement
• Current CPR certification, maintained continually since January 1, 2009 (up to 12 hours of CPR/ACLS/PALS coursework may count toward the total CE requirement each cycle)
• A State-approved infection control course at least once every 4 years

An hour of CE is one contact hour of at least 50 minutes (0.1 CEU = 1 contact hour; 1 semester hour = 15 contact hours). Hours cannot be carried over between registration periods. Acceptable subjects include clinical and basic dental sciences, pharmacology, infection control, risk management, and dental jurisprudence — practice management, accounting, finance, and similar business topics are not acceptable.

Scope of practice for New York's three licensed dental categories is defined in Education Law Article 133 and Part 61 of the Commissioner's Regulations:

• Dentists (§ 6604–6605) — full diagnosis and treatment of oral conditions
• Dental Hygienists (§ 6606) — preventive and clinical procedures, including dental prophylaxis, topical fluoride and anesthetic applications, dental X-rays, and — when separately certified — nitrous oxide analgesia and local infiltration anesthesia
• Registered Dental Assistants (§ 6608) — supervised clinical support tasks delegated in accordance with Commissioner's regulations

Professional misconduct complaints against New York dental professionals are handled by the Office of the Professions, which investigates and prosecutes misconduct for all licensed professions except medicine. The Board of Regents is responsible for final disposition of all disciplinary matters, including license revocation in the most serious cases.

How to file

Complaints must be submitted in writing — they cannot be filed by phone.

• Phone (to request a form or ask questions) — 1-800-442-8106
• Email — conduct@nysed.gov
• Form — download and mail or fax to 212-951-6420, available at op.nysed.gov/enforcement/discipline-complaint-form

Mail the completed form to the Office of Professional Discipline regional office closest to where the incident occurred. Note that OP cannot investigate fee disputes or charges you believe are too high, though it can investigate fraudulent billing.

What counts as professional misconduct

Education Law and the Rules of the Board of Regents (Part 29) define professional misconduct to include, among other things:

• Gross incompetence or gross negligence on a single occasion, or repeated negligence/incompetence
• Permitting or aiding an unlicensed person to perform activities requiring a license
• Refusing service to a patient because of race, creed, color, or national origin
• Practicing beyond the scope of the profession
• Releasing confidential information without authorization
• Being convicted of a crime
• Abandoning or neglecting a patient in need of immediate care
• Performing unnecessary or unauthorized services
• Practicing under the influence of alcohol or other drugs

Penalties

Penalties can include censure and reprimand, fines up to $10,000 per violation, suspension, probationary terms, and — in the most severe cases — license revocation. Practicing dentistry in New York without a current license and registration is a felony.

For practice-related or CE questions specific to dentistry (not misconduct), contact the State Board for Dentistry directly at 518-474-3817, press 1, then ext. 550, or dentbd@nysed.gov.

License status and disciplinary history for New York dental professionals are searched through OP's Online Verification Search at op.nysed.gov/verification-search, which covers more than 1.5 million licensees across 50+ regulated professions.

How to search

• By name — select the profession ("Dentist," "Dental Hygienist," or "Registered Dental Assisting"), then enter at least 3 letters of the last name followed by a space and the first name (no comma)
• By license number — select the profession and enter the full 6-digit license number (pad with leading zeros if the licensee's number is shorter)

Search results show the licensee's name, address (city/state), license number, date of original licensure, and current registration status (Registered, Inactive, Not Registered, Deceased, License Rescinded, Suspended, Revoked, or Surrendered). An Enforcement Actions tab on each record displays summaries of final Board of Regents disciplinary actions dating back to January 1994. You can also browse all disciplinary actions by year, month, and profession at op.nysed.gov/enforcement/enforcement-actions.

Because the Board of Regents takes final action on every disciplinary matter, the Verification Search reflects only final, adjudicated Regents dispositions — not pending investigations or preliminary findings. Complaints closed without a finding of misconduct do not appear in public enforcement records. Uncontested determinations involving minor, technical infractions can be requested separately from OP's Public Information Unit at 518-474-3817 ext. 330 or dplsdsu@nysed.gov.