Colorado Board of Dentistry

About the Colorado Dental Board

The Colorado Dental Board operates within the Division of Professions and Occupations (DPO), which is part of the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). The Board licenses and regulates dentists, dental therapists, and dental hygienists practicing in Colorado.

The Board traces its origins to 1889, when the State Board of Dental Examiners was created. In 2013, the name was changed to the Colorado Dental Board. The Division's most recent sunset review — Senate Bill 25-194 — addresses continuation of the Dental Practice Act.

The Board holds regular rulemaking hearings to adopt and revise practice rules covering topics including infection control, prescriptive authority for dental hygienists, interim therapeutic restorations, silver diamine fluoride application by dental therapists and hygienists, and teledentistry.

License types issued by the Board

The Colorado Dental Board issues licenses to the following practitioner types:

• Dentists (license prefix: DEN)
• Dental Therapists
• Dental Hygienists (license prefix: DH)

Additional permits are also issued, including sedation and anesthesia permits and other specialty authorizations. License applications and forms are available through the Division at dpo.colorado.gov/Dental/Applications.

Volunteer and research practice

Dentists or dental hygienists licensed in good standing by other states may provide care as a volunteer or participate in an educational or research program at the invitation of any group of licensed dentists or hygienists in Colorado who are in good standing, so long as such practice is limited to five consecutive days in a twelve-month period and the name of each participating person is submitted to the Board in writing, on a Board-approved form, at least ten days before the person performs such practice.

Applying for a Colorado dental license

Colorado dental license applications are processed through the Division of Professions and Occupations. Applications and required forms are available at dpo.colorado.gov/Dental/Applications.

Existing licensees can manage their licenses through the DPO's online portal:

• Renew your license: apps2.colorado.gov/dora/licensing/default.aspx
• Update contact information: dpo.colorado.gov/CustomerService/UpdateContact
• Print your license: dpo.colorado.gov/CustomerService/PrintLicense

Fees and license renewal

Colorado dental license fees and renewal periods are administered by the Division of Professions and Occupations. License renewals are processed online through the DPO's portal at apps2.colorado.gov/dora/licensing/default.aspx.

Continuing education requirements

All Dentists, Dental Therapists, and Dental Hygienists with an active Colorado license must complete at least 30 hours of Continuing Education (CE) during each two-year license period.

There are pro-rated requirements for newly licensed practitioners:

• If licensed for 12 months or less before the first license expiration date, no CE is required for the first renewal
• If licensed for more than 12 months but less than 24 months before the first expiration date, only 15 CE hours are required for the first renewal

More comprehensive information about Colorado dental CE requirements — including approved course categories, documentation requirements, and approved providers — is available at dpo.colorado.gov/Dental/CE.

Scope of practice

The Colorado Dental Board regulates three active practitioner license types — dentists, dental therapists, and dental hygienists — each with a defined scope of practice under Colorado's Dental Practice Act and the Board's rules and regulations.

Recent and ongoing rulemaking has addressed scope expansions and clarifications, including:

• Dental Hygienists: Limited prescriptive authority (Rule 1.13), placement of interim therapeutic restorations (Rule 1.25), administration of neuromodulators and dermal fillers (proposed Rule 1.34)
• Dental Therapists and Dental Hygienists: Application of silver diamine fluoride (Rule 1.26)
• All practitioners: Teledentistry practice rules (proposed Rule 1.36), itinerant surgery (proposed Rule 1.35), infection control standards (Rule 1.16)

Current Board rules are available through the Colorado Secretary of State's Code of Colorado Regulations at sos.state.co.us, and Board policies are available through dpo.colorado.gov/Dental/Laws.

Filing a complaint

Complaints against Colorado dental licensees are filed through the Division of Professions and Occupations' online complaint submission portal at apps2.colorado.gov/dora/licensing/Activities/Complaint.aspx.

Before you begin

• Create an account before filing so you can track your complaint status and respond to any follow-up questions from the Board or program
• Prepare all documentation before starting the form — the portal requires documents to be uploaded during the session. Examples of acceptable documentation are available at dpo.colorado.gov/FileComplaint

Filing process

To begin, click the "File Complaint" button and search for the licensee (Respondent) by name. If the person is not licensed, select "Switch to Manual Entry" to enter their information manually. Provide as much information as possible — all information provided by the complainant will be disclosed to the respondent.

Colorado Dental Association

The Colorado Dental Association (CDA) is the professional membership organization for Colorado dentists, affiliated with the American Dental Association. CDA advocates for the profession at the state legislature and provides members with continuing education, practice management tools, and member benefit programs.

Recent CDA legislative highlights include:

• HB-1070: Signed by Governor Polis, this law ensures dentists can opt in to leased insurance networks rather than being enrolled without their consent
• HB 1431: CDA successfully defended requirements that all dentists licensed in Colorado continue to meet the same education and licensure requirements under the Dental Practice Act, including graduation from Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)-accredited programs
• Expanded dental education access: Between 2024 and 2025, three new dental hygiene programs opened in Colorado, and two existing programs increased class sizes

The CDA Foundation provides grant funding twice per year to Colorado 501(c)3 dental organizations working to increase access to dental care. Application deadlines are March 15 and September 1. The Foundation also provides scholarship awards to CU School of Dental Medicine students.

More information is available at cdaonline.org.

Disciplinary actions and license verification

License status and disciplinary history for Colorado dental professionals can be searched through the Division of Professions and Occupations' Online License Verification at apps.colorado.gov/dora/licensing/Lookup/LicenseLookup.aspx. Searches can be performed by license type, license prefix and number, name, city, state, or zip code.

To research public action documents involving unlicensed individuals or businesses, visit the DPO's Public Documents System. For bulk lists of licensee or disciplinary information, use the Colorado Information Marketplace (CIM) system rather than the individual search portal.

A downloadable list of licensee and discipline information is available at apps.colorado.gov/dora/licensing/Lookup/GenerateRoster.aspx.

Other state dental boards