Ohio Board of Dentistry

The Ohio State Dental Board is an independent state agency that regulates the practice of dentistry, dental hygiene, and related dental credentials in Ohio. Unlike dental boards in many other states, it operates as a standalone agency rather than as a division within a larger professional licensing department.

Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code § 4715.02, the Board consists of thirteen (13) members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate: nine dentists who have practiced actively and reputably in Ohio for at least five years before appointment, three dental hygienists with the same five-year practice requirement, and one public member who is not associated with or financially interested in the practice of dentistry. Members serve four-year terms and may not serve more than two consecutive terms.

The Board's stated vision is: “The State Dental Board will protect the oral health of Ohioans and promote access to care.” Its core values follow the acronym S.E.R.V.I.C.E. — Stewardship, Excellence, Respect, Virtuousness, Integrity, Communication, and Ethics.

• Kathy Brisley-Sedon, DDS — President
• Michele P. Carr, RDH, EdD — Vice President
• Paul M. Kelley, DDS — Secretary
• George Williams, DDS — Vice Secretary

The Board meets at least eight times a year, and its meeting minutes and annual reports (covering two fiscal years each) are published on the Board's website. Licensing, renewal, and public license verification are all administered through eLicense Ohio, the state's unified professional licensing portal shared with 23 other Ohio licensing boards and agencies.

The Ohio State Dental Board issues the following primary licenses and certificates:

• Dentist
• Dental Hygienist
• Dental X-ray Machine Operator (DXMO) — formerly called Dental Assistant Radiographer
• Coronal Polishing certificate — a one-time credential that never expires
• Expanded Function Dental Auxiliary (EFDA)

The Board also issues a range of permits and limited-purpose licenses:

• General Anesthesia Permit and Moderate Sedation Permit (patients age 13 and over, with a separate pediatric endorsement for patients under 13)
• Oral Health Access Supervision Permit — issued to both dentists and dental hygienists
• Teledentistry Permit
• Limited Continuing Education License, Limited Dental Teaching License, Limited Dental Hygiene Teaching License, and Limited Resident License
• Volunteer's Certificate and an Out-of-State Volunteer credential for charitable events
• Active Military Temporary License (no fee)
• Mobile Dental Facilities registration

All Ohio dental license applications are submitted online through the eLicense Ohio Professional Licensure System. Initial dentist applicants apply under one of three pathways depending on their education: graduates of a CODA-accredited four-year dental school (with regional board examination or CODA-accredited residency completion), out-of-state license holders, or graduates of unaccredited dental schools who completed a 2-year CODA-accredited GPR or AEGD program. Every pathway carries a $454.00 application fee. Dental hygienist applicants follow a similar CODA-accredited or out-of-state pathway for a $184.00 fee. A newly issued license expires two years from its date of issuance.

Jurisprudence examination

All initial applicants (dentists and hygienists) must pass the Board's jurisprudence examination, an open-book test covering the Ohio Dental Practice Act — Ohio Revised Code Chapter 4715 and Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 4715. A score of 75% or higher is required to pass, and applicants who do not pass are notified by email and permitted to retake the exam.

Hepatitis B and criminal records requirements

• All applicants must show evidence of Hepatitis B immunity or immunization, via a positive surface antibody titer, a vaccination record, or (for medical reasons only) a signed physician waiver.
• State law requires every applicant to submit fingerprints for a criminal records check completed by both the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and the FBI (ORC § 4715.101). The Board does not process fingerprints itself; results must come directly from the BCI processing center and are valid for one year. In-state applicants generally use the Webcheck electronic fingerprinting network (about 2 weeks processing); out-of-state applicants use paper fingerprint cards (about 4 weeks processing).

Out-of-state licensees

Under ORC § 4796.03 and § 4715.10, an applicant who holds an active license in another state and has actively practiced in that discipline for at least one of the five years immediately preceding application (time in a residency program does not count) may apply as an out-of-state license holder, using an attestation form in place of some of the initial-applicant documentation. Out-of-state applicants must still pass the jurisprudence exam and meet the Hepatitis B and criminal-records requirements.

Ohio continuing education requirements are set out in Ohio Administrative Code § 4715-8-01, with hour totals fixed by statute for each credential type. All CE must be completed within the two-year registration biennium.

• Dentists: 30 hours per biennium (ORC § 4715.141)
• Dental Hygienists: 20 hours per biennium (ORC § 4715.25)
• Dental X-ray Machine Operators (formerly Dental Assistant Radiographers): 2 hours in radiation-related topics, including x-ray films and radiographic film quality (OAC § 4715-12-05)

Category limits (apply to dentists and hygienists)

• Non-clinical dental practice-related coursework (practice management): maximum 5 hours
• Papers, publications, and scientific presentations: maximum 3 hours
• Teaching and research appointments: maximum 3 hours
• Volunteer clinical service in Ohio: up to one-third of the total CE requirement, capped at 10 hours for dentists and 6.5 hours for dental hygienists
• Poster sessions: maximum 2 hours

Recent graduates who completed their dental school, dental hygiene program, or initial dental x-ray machine operator training within their first registration biennium are exempt from the hour requirement for that biennium, as are dental residents and dental hygiene graduate students actively enrolled in a CODA-approved program at any point during the biennium — both groups must still attest to the exemption and upload proof of enrollment or completion when renewing. Dental hygienists must also submit proof of current Basic Life Support certification from the American Red Cross, American Heart Association, or American Safety and Health Institute at each renewal (ORC § 4715.251).

Dentists holding a General Anesthesia or Moderate Sedation permit must additionally complete at least 6 hours of Board-approved CE specifically on the management and prevention of sedation-related emergencies during each biennium, maintain current BLS-HCP and ACLS (or PALS, for pediatric patients) certification, and document quarterly emergency drills, in order to renew the permit at no additional charge.

Ohio dental practice law (ORC Chapter 4715 and OAC Chapter 4715) defines the scope of practice for each credential the Board regulates. Dentists may examine, diagnose, and provide the full range of clinical dental treatment. Dental hygienists perform preventive and clinical hygiene services within the permissible practices set out in OAC § 4715-9-01, generally under the supervision of a licensed dentist; OAC § 4715-9-05 defines the limited circumstances under which a hygienist may practice when the supervising dentist is not physically present. With additional training, hygienists may administer local anesthesia (ORC § 4715.231, OAC § 4715-9-01.1) and initiate, adjust, monitor, and terminate nitrous oxide-oxygen minimal sedation (OAC § 4715-9-01.2 and 4715-9-01.3). Dental X-ray Machine Operators, Expanded Function Dental Auxiliaries, and Coronal Polishing certificate holders are each limited to the specific procedures defined in their governing rules.

If you have concerns about the care provided by an Ohio dentist or dental hygienist, the Board outlines several options before or instead of filing a formal complaint:

• Discuss it directly with the dentist, hygienist, or their supervisor — many concerns are resolved this way.
• Local dental association peer review — component societies of the Ohio Dental Association offer a confidential peer review process for complaints that fall within their guidelines.
• Private legal action — a patient may retain an attorney to pursue a personal injury or other civil claim.
• File a complaint with the Ohio State Dental Board using the Board's Complaint and Information Form.

What the Board investigates

The Board investigates improper prescribing or administration of drugs, failure to meet minimal standards of care, fraud or misrepresentation, unlicensed practice, scope-of-practice violations, criminal convictions, impairment affecting the ability to practice, infection control violations, and other violations of the Dental Practice Act.

Complaints and the records related to an investigation are confidential by law. The Board assigns cases to an investigator within about 15 days of receipt, in the order received, and will not disclose the status of an active investigation. If the Board finds a violation of the Dental Practice Act, it may impose a reprimand, probation, license restriction, suspension, or permanent revocation — but it cannot order monetary restitution to the complainant.

License status for Ohio dental professionals is verified through the eLicense Ohio License Look-Up at elicense.ohio.gov/oh_verifylicense. The tool searches license and disciplinary information from 24 State of Ohio agencies, boards, and commissions, including the Dental Board. To look up a licensee:

• Visit the License Look-Up page and search by the licensee's name or license number.
• Select the Dental Board among the listed licensing agencies if prompted.
• Records are pulled directly from the Board's database and updated daily, and include current license status and any public formal disciplinary information.

Formal Action Reports

Beyond individual license look-ups, the Board separately publishes Formal Action Reports — monthly PDF or Word summaries listing every formal disciplinary action the Board took that month, archived by year going back through at least 2024 — on its Formal Action Reports page.