Florida Board of Dentistry

About the Florida Board of Dentistry

The Florida Board of Dentistry is a regulatory body within the Florida Department of Health's Division of Medical Quality Assurance (MQA), which oversees licensing and discipline for health care practitioners across the state. The board serves as Florida's primary regulatory authority for dentists, dental hygienists, and dental laboratories, with the MQA division handling the licensing infrastructure through which the board operates.

The board meets four times per year for full Board meetings. Each meeting covers disciplinary cases, licensure approvals, correspondence items, committee reports, policy discussion items, and other necessary board action. General Board Business meetings begin at 7:30 a.m. EST on Friday. Committee and council meetings are scheduled as needed throughout the year. The next full board meeting is scheduled for August 14, 2026 at Hyatt Place Tampa/Wesley Chapel at 7:30 AM ET.

The Florida Department of Health is expanding e-licensing across health professions including dentistry to expedite licensure and verification. A virtual AI assistant (ELI) is available through floridasdentistry.gov to answer licensing and renewal questions online. The board also administers the FRAMEdental program, which provides reimbursement assistance for medical education to address dental workforce needs in underserved areas of Florida.

Florida dental license types

The Florida Board of Dentistry licenses and regulates dental professionals through the MQA division of the Florida Department of Health. The board's website at floridasdentistry.gov serves as the primary portal for three practitioner/entity categories:

• Dentists — the standard dental practice license for qualified graduates who meet Florida's education, examination, and background screening requirements.
• Dental hygienists — a distinct licensure track for dental hygiene practitioners, with its own application, CE, and renewal requirements.
• Dental laboratories — Florida licenses dental laboratories as a separate regulatory category from individual practitioners.

Applications for all categories are submitted through floridasdentistry.gov/licensing. Renewals are processed through floridasdentistry.gov/renewals. The Florida Department of Health's MQA division is implementing expanded e-licensing to streamline these processes for health care practitioners across the state.

New background screening requirements became effective July 1, 2025 for health care practitioners under the Cleared to Care initiative. The background screening process is administered through flhealthsource.gov/background-screening.

Applying for a Florida dental license

Florida dental license applications are submitted through the Florida Board of Dentistry's licensing portal at floridasdentistry.gov/licensing. The Florida Department of Health's MQA division is rolling out expanded e-licensing for health care practitioners, streamlining the application and verification process.

All US dentists must demonstrate completion of a CODA-accredited dental education program, passing scores on required national and clinical examinations, and compliance with Florida's background screening requirements. The Cleared to Care background screening program (effective July 1, 2025) is administered through flhealthsource.gov.

Application status can be checked through the MQA licensee portal at mqa-vo.doh.state.fl.us. After submitting an application, applicants can track progress through this portal while the department reviews credentials.

Fees and license renewal

Florida dental license fees are set through the Department of Health's regulatory process and fund MQA operations including application processing, license verification, and enforcement. License renewals for Florida dental practitioners are handled online through the board's renewal portal at floridasdentistry.gov/renewals.

Florida's MQA quarterly performance reports are published on the floridasdentistry.gov site, providing public transparency on board operations and licensing activity. The Q3 2025–26 report is available as of this page's review date.

Continuing education requirements

Continuing education is required for dental license renewal in Florida. The Florida Board of Dentistry approves CE courses and providers for the dental professions it regulates. A dedicated CE portal at floridasdentistry.gov/continuing-education-ce allows practitioners to search for board-approved CE courses by profession.

CE requirements in Florida, as in most states, typically include clinical practice content along with any subject-matter mandates the board has established. Florida dentists and dental hygienists should verify their specific CE obligations — including required topics and accepted providers — through the board's CE portal or by contacting the board directly.

Scope of practice in Florida

Scope of practice for Florida dental professionals is defined by Florida's Dental Practice Act and the rules adopted by the Florida Board of Dentistry. The board regulates three practitioner/entity categories — dentists, dental hygienists, and dental laboratories — each with defined scope under state law.

Florida's 2025 legislative session included bills affecting health care professions. Summaries of bills from the 2025 Florida Legislative Session that may impact dental practice are available at floridasdentistry.gov/2025-bills-impacting-health-care-professions. Reviewing this list is recommended for practitioners wanting to understand any recent changes to scope or regulatory requirements.

Filing a complaint in Florida

Complaints against Florida dental professionals are investigated by the Florida Department of Health's MQA division. The department investigates complaints and enforces applicable Florida law; any action taken is administrative in nature. The department cannot represent patients in civil matters to recover fees or seek compensation for injuries — those matters require a private attorney.

Filing a complaint

Complaints can be filed through the Florida Health Care Complaint Portal at complaint-portal.mqa.flhealthsource.gov. Anonymous complaints are accepted, but a complaint without sufficient information may be closed without investigation, and anonymous complainants cannot receive status updates.

What to expect

Once filed, the complaint is reviewed for possible violations of the licensee's practice act. If a violation may have occurred, the case is investigated and referred to Prosecution Services for a probable cause determination. If probable cause is found, the case is referred to the board for disciplinary action; 10 days after an administrative complaint is filed, the case becomes public. If probable cause is not found, the case is closed and remains confidential.

The time limit for filing a complaint is generally six years from the last date of treatment; the entire investigation and probable cause finding must be completed before the statute of limitations expires.

Penalties and non-jurisdiction items

Administrative actions that may be taken against dental practitioners include: reprimand, fine, restriction of practice, required continuing education, probation, suspension, and revocation. The department may also enter into alternative-to-discipline actions such as mediation or citation.

The following issues are outside the department's jurisdiction and will not be investigated:

• Fee disputes, billing disputes, or broken and missed appointment charges
• Personality conflicts or rudeness of practitioners

To report a person practicing dentistry without a license, call 877-HALT-ULA (the unlicensed activity hotline) or file through flhealthsource.gov/ula.

Florida Dental Association

The Florida Dental Association (FDA) is the statewide professional membership organization representing Florida-licensed dentists. Established in 1884, the FDA is one of the older state dental associations in the country, and serves over 8,100 Florida dentists through six component societies and three Tallahassee offices, including a downtown governmental affairs office.

The FDA is a constituent society of the American Dental Association and operates within the tripartite membership structure connecting local component societies, the statewide association, and the national ADA.

FDA programs

• Jumpstart — connects pre-dental student volunteers with dental offices experiencing staffing needs, addressing workforce challenges in Florida dental practices.
• Radiography training — the FDA offers online radiography training and certification for dental assistants.
• Florida Dental Member Assistance Program — a free, confidential benefit for dentists and their family members addressing mental health and wellness needs.
• FDA Services — a dental insurance organization built by the FDA to serve member practices.
• New graduate benefit — first-year malpractice insurance through The Doctors Company (FDA-endorsed carrier) at no cost for new graduates who join the FDA and remain in Florida.

The Florida Dental Convention (FDC 2026) is scheduled for June 25–27 in Orlando, offering continuing education and networking for member dentists.

Disciplinary records and license verification

Florida dental licensee disciplinary records are publicly accessible through the MQA Search Services portal maintained by the Florida Department of Health. The portal provides separate search tools depending on what you are looking for:

• License Verification (mqa-internet.doh.state.fl.us/MQASearchServices/HealthCareProviders) — verify current license status for any Florida health care practitioner including dentists and dental hygienists.
• Practitioner Profile (mqa-internet.doh.state.fl.us/MQASearchServices/HealthCareProviders/PractitionerProfileSearch) — a more detailed profile view including education, licensure history, and any public actions.
• Discipline and Administrative Actions (mqa-internet.doh.state.fl.us/MQASearchServices/EnforcementActionsPractitioner) — a dedicated search for enforcement actions taken against licensed practitioners, searchable by name and profession.

Administrative actions from complaint investigations — including reprimands, fines, practice restrictions, probation, suspension, and revocation — are reflected in the discipline search once they become final and public. Cases where probable cause was not found remain confidential.

Other state dental boards