North Carolina Board of Dentistry

The North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners (NCSBDE) is an independent licensing agency created under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-22 (Chapter 90, Article 2) "to ensure that the dental profession merit and receive the confidence of the public and that only qualified persons be permitted to practice dentistry and dental hygiene" in North Carolina.

The Board carries out three core functions: administering licensure examinations for dentists and dental hygienists, promulgating rules and enforcing the laws and regulations governing the practice of dentistry and dental hygiene in the state, and issuing and renewing licenses.

Board composition

Effective August 1, 2025, the eight-member Board is composed of six licensed dentists and one licensed dental hygienist, each elected by their fellow licensees to three-year terms (elections are held annually for a rotating slate of seats), plus one consumer member appointed by the Governor:

• William M. Litaker, Jr., DDS — President (Hickory)
• W. Stan Hardesty, DDS — Secretary-Treasurer (Raleigh)
• Mark W. Johnson, DDS — Past President (New Bern)
• Catherine A. Watkins, DDS (Winston-Salem)
• F. Vincent Allison, III, DDS (Durham)
• Edward J. Clemons, Jr., DDS (Durham)
• Lori Gordon Hendrick, RDH (Shelby)
• Hon. Teresa H. Vincent — Consumer Member (Greensboro)

The Board's office is located at 2000 Perimeter Park Drive, Suite 160, Morrisville, NC 27560. Correspondence, complaint forms, and licensing inquiries can be directed to info@ncdentalboard.org or submitted through the Board's website at ncdentalboard.org.

The North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners issues licenses and permits across the following categories:

• Dental license — the standard license for dentists, issued by examination or by credentials
• Dental hygiene license — issued to dental hygienists by examination or by credentials
• Licensure by Military Endorsement/Military Spouse — for dentists and hygienists who served, or are married to an active-duty service member
• Provisional license — a one-year, non-renewable license restricted to supervised practice at an NC dentist's office, for applicants short on the hours or wait time needed for Credentials or ADEX
• Intern permit — for dentists in a supervised residency or approved intern site
• Instructor's license — practice restricted to the North Carolina dental school where the holder is on faculty
• Volunteer license — a reduced-fee license for qualifying volunteer dental services
• Anesthesia and sedation permits — separate permits for dentists administering general anesthesia, moderate sedation, or moderate pediatric sedation

Dental hygienists may also obtain temporary certification to administer local anesthetics under rules the Board adopted following passage of Senate Bill 146.

The Board publishes separate application packets for dentists and dental hygienists. It is the applicant's responsibility to review the rules and confirm which license type they qualify for before applying — submitting the wrong application can result in loss of fees.

Dentist pathways

• Licensure by Examination ($395) — for new graduates or applicants with ADEX clinical exam scores less than 5 years old; requires graduation from a CODA-accredited dental program
• Licensure by Credentials ($2,000) — for applicants whose ADEX scores are more than 5 years old; requires at least 5 years licensed via clinical exam in another state, 5,000 hours of patient care in the last 5 years, a CODA-accredited degree, and no prior discipline by another licensing board
• Provisional License ($100) — for applicants short on hours for Credentials or facing a long wait for ADEX; not available to new graduates; restricted to supervised practice at one NC office; valid one year and not renewable
• Licensure by Military Endorsement/Military Spouse ($0) — for applicants with at least 1,000 hours of patient care per year in 2 of the last 5 years while serving, or married to an active-duty service member
• Instructor's License ($140) — for NC dental school faculty who hold a current license in another state or country; practice restricted to that school

Dental hygienists follow the same structure at different cost and experience thresholds: Licensure by Examination ($75), Licensure by Credentials ($750, requiring 2 years licensed and 2,000 hours of patient care in the last 2 years), Provisional License ($60), and Military Endorsement/Spouse ($0). Internationally trained dentists have separate licensure options; internationally trained hygienists are not eligible for NC dental hygiene licensure.

Written and clinical examinations

Applicants for Licensure by Examination, Credentials, or Provisional status (Military Endorsement/Spouse applicants are exempt) must pass online written examinations in two subject areas: infection control/sterilization and North Carolina jurisprudence. The only accepted clinical exam is ADEX — with its optional periodontal scaling section required in NC for dentists — administered by the American Board of Dental Examiners at adextesting.org. Both the written and clinical exams must be passed before a license is issued; passing only one does not satisfy the requirement. No candidate may practice until the license is issued and properly displayed, per N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-33.

Continuing education has been mandatory for North Carolina dental licensees since January 1, 1995. Requirements are set annually: dentists must complete 15 hours and dental hygienists must complete 6 hours each calendar year (January through December). Newly licensed dentists and hygienists are not required to complete CE in the calendar year they are first licensed, but must meet the full requirement beginning the following year.

CE hours are self-reported on the annual renewal form — the Board does not require documentation to be submitted with renewal, but each licensee must retain proof of completed courses for at least two years and produce it upon the Board's request.

Approved courses and sponsors

Courses must be directly related to patient care; practice-management courses do not qualify. Dentists and hygienists may satisfy all of their required hours online or through correspondence courses, provided the course includes a post-test and issues a certificate of completion. Approved sponsors include:

• Providers recognized under the ADA Continuing Education Recognition Program (ADA CERP)
• The Academy of General Dentistry
• The American Dental Association, American Dental Hygienists' Association, and their components
• North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (NC AHEC)
• Educational institutions with dental, dental hygiene, or dental assisting programs
• National, state, or local dental societies and associations, including study clubs
• Local, state, or federal governmental entities

CPR requirement

Both dentists and dental hygienists must maintain current CPR certification. Since a May 2011 rule change, fully online CPR courses no longer qualify — the Board requires a hands-on or blended course. Under 21 NCAC 16A .0101(5), qualifying certification must meet American Red Cross or American Heart Association standards and include manikin testing in CPR, AED use, choking response, and rescue breathing, with the manikin testing supervised by an instructor physically present with students. CPR does not need to be repeated annually if a two-year certification is obtained, but it must always be current.

Reduced or waived requirements

• Retired dentist (never practices) — full waiver of CE and CPR, by Board exemption letter only
• Semi-retired, Class I (practices 250 hours/year or less) — CE waived, but CPR must be maintained
• Semi-retired, Class II (practices 1,000 hours/year or less) — half of required CE waived (7.5 hours), CPR must be maintained
• Disabling condition — licensees may request a documented variance in required hours; there is no waiver for CPR
• Full-time dental/hygiene/assisting school faculty — 10 hours/year credit for dentists, 4 hours/year for hygienists (half credit for part-time faculty working 20+ hours/week)
• Government dental employment (county/state health department, federal dental clinic, etc.) — 10 hours/year credit for full-time employment, half for part-time (20+ hours/week)

The Board's regulatory jurisdiction covers dentists, dental hygienists, dental interns, and permit holders practicing under anesthesia or sedation authorizations. Rules are set out in 21 NCAC 16, the administrative code chapter governing dental practice in North Carolina, covering licensure, permitted procedures, supervision of dental personnel, anesthesia and sedation standards, infection control, and professional conduct. The full text is linked from the Board's Rules & Laws page.

Anesthesia and sedation permits

A dentist who wishes to administer general anesthesia or sedation in the dental office must hold a Board permit under 21 NCAC 16Q. Obtaining one requires an application, verification of training in anesthesia or sedation, and an in-office evaluation before the permit is issued.

The Board has also issued interpretive statements clarifying acceptable standards of care for CRNA-administered sedation and certain medications (including Propofol, Ketamine, and Precedex), for monitoring patients during sedation procedures, and for administering anxiolytics to adult, geriatric, and pediatric patients.

Dental hygienists may obtain certification to administer local anesthetics under temporary rules the Board adopted following passage of Senate Bill 146.

The Board accepts and investigates complaints against licensed dentists and dental hygienists but does not have jurisdiction over:

• Fee disputes
• Personality conflicts or rude behavior
• Scheduling (or lack of scheduling) of appointments

Consider patient mediation first

Before filing a formal complaint, patients may pursue the North Carolina Dental Society's independent Patient Mediation Program, in which a committee of dentists reviews the complaint and attempts to resolve it to both parties' satisfaction. The NC State Board of Dental Examiners is a state regulatory agency and is not affiliated with the NC Dental Society or its mediation program. Mediation decisions are non-binding and do not prevent a later formal complaint to the Board — but once a complaint is filed with the Board, the mediation option is no longer available. To request mediation, call the NC Dental Society at 1-800-662-8754 or visit ncdental.org.

How to file with the Board

Complaints are accepted only in writing, using the Consumer Complaint Form. All questions should be answered as thoroughly and accurately as possible, with any relevant paperwork attached. Forms can be downloaded from ncdentalboard.org/filing_complaint.htm, requested by mail, or emailed to info@ncdentalboard.org. A separate Practitioner Complaint Form is available for a dentist or hygienist filing against another.

What happens after filing

The complaint is sent to the dentist or hygienist for a response, a copy of which is provided to the complainant. A Board investigator may conduct interviews if necessary. A review panel — one Board member, three staff members, and the Board's attorney — then evaluates whether the evidence suggests a violation of dental law. If so, a formal hearing may be scheduled and the complainant may be asked to testify. The Board can discipline a dentist or hygienist through reprimand, license suspension, probation, or revocation; it cannot order a refund (though one may be a condition of a consent agreement) or award compensation for personal damages, which requires civil court action. The entire process can take anywhere from two months to two years, depending on the complexity of the case.

License status and disciplinary history for North Carolina dental professionals can be searched through the Board's online verification system at portal.ncdentalboard.org/Verification/search.aspx. Search by license number, first name, or last name. The system flags disciplinary actions directly on a licensee's record when they exist.

The portal also explains the Board's licensing terminology: Licensee, Credentials, and Military Endorsement/Spouse licenses are all full, unrestricted licenses; an Instructor license is restricted to practice at a North Carolina dental school; an Intern permit is restricted to a supervised residency or approved intern site; and a Provisional license is restricted to supervised practice at a specified location.

Recent disciplinary actions list

Separately, the Board posts a running list of recent disciplinary actions — generally those taken within the past 180 days, updated quarterly — with linked consent order and reprimand PDFs, at ncdentalboard.org/discipline_action.htm. After that 180-day window, all disciplinary orders remain public record and stay searchable through the verification portal above.