South Carolina Board of Dentistry

The South Carolina Board of Dentistry licenses and regulates dentists, dental hygienists, and dental technicians. The Board operates within the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR), the umbrella state agency that houses 41 professional and occupational licensing boards.

Under S.C. Code § 40-15-20, the Board is composed of eleven members: one lay member from the state at large, one dentist from the state at large, two dental hygienists (one appointed at large by the Governor and one elected statewide by licensed hygienists), and seven dentists — one representing each of South Carolina's seven congressional districts. Members serve six-year terms and may not serve successive terms.

The seven congressional-district dentist seats are filled through an annual rotating election: each year, the licensed dentists residing in one district elect a nominee from among themselves, and the Board certifies that nominee to the Governor for appointment.

The Board adopts its own rules and regulations under S.C. Code § 40-15-40, codified in Chapter 39 of the South Carolina Code of Regulations, and by statute holds at least one annual meeting each year between May 15 and July 15.

The South Carolina Board of Dentistry issues the following license, permit, and certification types under S.C. Code Title 40, Chapter 15 and S.C. Code of Regulations Chapter 39:

• Dentist (General Dentist) — full-scope dental practice
• Dental Specialist — requires an existing SC dentist license plus a separate specialty license (S.C. Code § 40-15-220)
• Dental Hygienist
• Dental Technician and Orthodontic Technician — registered dental-laboratory credentials; South Carolina is one of the few states that separately licenses dental technicians
• Restricted Instructor License — Dental, Dental Specialist, or Dental Auxiliary faculty
• Restricted Volunteer License — Dental, Dental Specialist, or Dental Hygiene, for out-of-state licensees volunteering at Board-approved SC clinics
• Dental Resident Limited License
• Sedation Permits — Moderate Sedation and Deep Sedation/General Anesthesia
• Local Infiltration Anesthesia and Nitrous Oxide Monitoring certifications for dental hygienists
• Mobile Dental Facility and Portable Dental Operation registrations

All active South Carolina dental licenses can be verified through the LLR License Lookup — Dentistry portal.

South Carolina dental license applications are processed by the Board of Dentistry through LLR. Applications are valid for one year from the date of receipt — after that, the application, fee, and all required documents (exam scores, transcripts, license verifications) must be resubmitted. Materials not attached to the initial application may be emailed to Contact.Dentistry@llr.sc.gov or mailed to:

Board of Dentistry
PO Box 11329
Columbia, SC 29211-1329

Application by examination

Applicants must pass the National Board Examination through the ADA and a Board-accepted clinical examination — ADEX, CRDTS, or SRTA. The Board does not accept state clinical examinations or the WREB clinical examination.

Application by credentials (out-of-state licensees)

Under S.C. Code § 40-15-275, a dentist currently and validly licensed in another state or U.S. territory may apply for licensure by credentials if the applicant:

• Graduated from a CODA-accredited dental program and passed the National Board Examination and an accepted clinical examination (ADEX, CRDTS, or SRTA)
• Has actively practiced dentistry for at least 5 years immediately preceding application — at least 1,200 hours per year in private practice, public health or military clinical work, or CODA-approved clinical instruction
• Has completed 70 hours of continuing education over the past 5 years and is currently certified in CPR
• Has no final or pending disciplinary action in any state, territory, or the military in which the applicant has held a professional license
• Passes the SC Jurisprudence Examination
• Establishes an active SC practice within 2 years of licensure by credentials, or the license is automatically revoked

The credentials application also requires three original letters of recommendation from licensed dentists, a notarized affidavit of practice history, and a National Practitioner Data Bank self-query report. The standard application fee is $2,000.00; applicants who agree to practice exclusively in a Board-designated rural county for at least 2 consecutive years may request a partial fee waiver, reducing the fee to $500.00.

Jurisprudence examination

All applicants must pass the SC Jurisprudence Examination, an online test covering the Dental Practice Act (Title 40, Chapter 15) and Board regulations (Chapter 39). A score of 70 or higher is passing. After the Board approves an application, instructions and a User ID are emailed to take the exam online.

South Carolina dentists, dental hygienists, and dental technicians must complete continuing education (CE) each 2-year renewal cycle under S.C. Reg. 39-5(F). The CE cycle runs from March 2 of odd-numbered years through March 1 two years later, matching the license renewal cycle. Licensees are exempt from CE for their first relicensure period.

CE hours by license type

Dentist requirement breakdown (28 hours)

• At least 1 hour in sterilization and infection control
• At least 2 hours in prescribing and monitoring controlled substances, if the dentist is licensed to prescribe them under S.C. Code § 40-15-145
• At least 4 hours in pharmacology, anesthesia, emergency medicine, or sedation, if the dentist holds a sedation permit under S.C. Code § 40-15-420
• No more than 50% of hours may be earned via online/self-study coursework (live, interactive webinars count as live CE)
• Up to 25% of required hours may be earned by teaching a course at a CODA-approved dental college or an approved CE seminar (combined maximum of 25% even if both are taught)

Dental hygienist requirement breakdown (14 hours)

• At least 1 hour in sterilization and infection control
• No more than 50% of hours may be earned via online/self-study coursework
• Up to 25% of required hours may be earned by teaching, on the same terms as dentists

Dental technicians must complete 8 hours per cycle, with no live-instruction requirement.

CPR requirement

Dentists and dental hygienists must be recertified in CPR every 2 years through a Board-approved provider (e.g., American Heart Association, American Red Cross, ASHI). Recertification must include a live, in-person practical skills component — the practical portion cannot be completed online. A qualifying CPR course can count for up to 4 CE hours per cycle.

Tracking: CE Broker

South Carolina uses CE Broker as its official CE tracking system. Licensees must activate an account at cebroker.com/sc/account/basic and confirm completed courses are reported before renewal. Licensees who hold a dental specialty license should report CE hours against their General Dentist license number. CE records must be retained for at least 3 years.

Exemptions

• First relicensure period after initial licensure
• Active-duty U.S. military members (must submit orders at renewal)
• Licensees in a CODA-approved residency program (must submit proof through CE Broker)
• Hardship, disability, or extraordinary-circumstances waivers or extensions, granted at the Board's discretion by written request — not automatic

South Carolina dental practice law (S.C. Code Title 40, Chapter 15) and Board regulations (S.C. Code of Regulations Chapter 39) define the scope of practice for each credential type the Board of Dentistry licenses.

• Dentists — the full range of dental diagnosis, treatment, and procedures defined in S.C. Code § 40-15-70, including extractions, restorations, prescribing, and administering anesthesia. Dentists who limit their practice to a recognized specialty must hold a separate specialty license (§ 40-15-220).
• Dental Hygienists — preventive, diagnostic, and periodontal services under Board-defined supervision requirements; may hold additional certifications in local infiltration anesthesia or nitrous oxide monitoring.
• Dental Technicians / Orthodontic Technicians — fabrication of dental prosthetics, appliances, and restorations based on dentist prescriptions, performed in a dental laboratory rather than a clinical setting.

All dental practices in South Carolina must conform to current CDC infection-control guidelines under S.C. Reg. 39-10, and every dentist, dental hygienist, and technician must keep the Board informed of their current mailing address.

Complaints against South Carolina dentists, dental hygienists, or dental technicians are investigated by LLR's Office of Investigation and Enforcement (OIE), which handles complaints for all 41 LLR-regulated professions.

Step 1: File the complaint

File online at llr.sc.gov/fileacomplaint.aspx or submit the Board's Dental Complaint Form by mail. The form asks for the complainant's and respondent's information, witnesses, and a statement of facts, with supporting documents attached. South Carolina law requires the complainant's name be disclosed to the respondent unless the Board finds good cause to withhold it — a request to withhold the name must be submitted together with the complaint itself.

Step 2: Review and investigation

• A complaint analyst first determines whether the allegations, if true, would violate the Board's practice act
• If so, an investigator is assigned and must notify the respondent in writing within 30 days, giving them a chance to respond
• Investigations may include onsite inspections, subpoenas under S.C. Code § 40-1-80(B), and interviews, and are generally complete within 180 business days
• An Investigation Review Conference (IRC) — counsel, the chief investigator, the Board administrator, and a Board professional member — then recommends the Board proceed with a formal complaint, issue a letter of caution, or dismiss the matter

Step 3: Board disposition

The Board has final authority and may dismiss the complaint, issue a non-disciplinary letter of caution, or direct LLR's Office of Disciplinary Counsel to file a formal complaint. A formal complaint may resolve through a consent agreement (subject to Board approval) or a full hearing before the Board under the South Carolina Administrative Procedures Act, where sanctions can range from a reprimand to license revocation. A respondent has 30 days to appeal an adverse final order to the Administrative Law Court.

South Carolina maintains two separate public tools for checking a dental licensee's status and disciplinary history.

LLR License Lookup — current license status

• Visit the LLR License Lookup — Dentistry portal
• Search by last/first name, license number, city, or license type (General Dentist, Dental Specialist, Dental Hygienist, Dental Technician, Orthodontic Technician, Dental Instructor, or Volunteer)
• Records are updated nightly to reflect current licensing and enforcement status

Public Board Orders — disciplinary history

• Visit the LLR Public Board Orders portal for Dentistry
• Search by last name, first name, or DBA (doing business as) name
• Each result links to a downloadable PDF of the Board's actual signed order, along with the order date, license type, and license number

Under S.C. Code § 40-15-215, a final Board order finding a dentist, dental hygienist, or dental technician violated the practice act is public record and is posted to the Board Orders portal. Orders dismissing a complaint and orders imposing only a private reprimand are not made public. Public orders may also be forwarded to other state dental boards, local and state dental associations, and hospitals where the respondent holds staff privileges.