North Carolina Board of Dentistry

About the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners

The North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners was created to ensure that the dental profession merits and receives the confidence of the public, and that only qualified persons are permitted to practice dentistry and dental hygiene in North Carolina. This purpose statement — drawn directly from the board's own website — captures both sides of the board's mandate: upholding professional standards and protecting the public from unqualified practice.

The board carries out three core functions. It administers licensure examinations for dentists and dental hygienists seeking to enter practice in North Carolina. It promulgates rules and enforces the laws and regulations governing the practice of dentistry and dental hygiene across the state. And it issues and renews licenses to dentists and dental hygienists who meet those standards.

The board's offices are 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 online portal at ncdentalboard.org.

License types issued by the board

The North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners issues licenses and permits across several categories. Dentists and dental hygienists who meet North Carolina's entry requirements apply for the standard professional license. The board also issues several additional credential types for practitioners with specialized roles or circumstances:

• Dental license — the standard license for dentists practicing in North Carolina
• Dental hygiene license — issued to dental hygienists meeting state requirements
• Intern permit — for dentists in supervised intern arrangements
• Anesthesia and sedation permits — separate permit categories for dentists administering anesthesia or sedation; requirements and fees differ by level
• Provisional license — available for both dentists and dental hygienists in qualifying provisional arrangements
• Volunteer license — a reduced-fee license for practitioners providing qualifying volunteer services
• Instructor's license — for dental professionals teaching in accredited programs

Applications can be requested by mail, email, or through electronic forms available on the board's website. The board's online services portal provides additional options for submitting and tracking applications.

Applying for a North Carolina dental license

The North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners provides separate application packets for dentists and dental hygienists, accessible through the board's website. Each application packet covers the specific documentation, exam requirements, and fees for that license type.

The board's website organizes applications by credential type:

• Dental Application & Information — covers the standard dentist license and the documentation required for new applicants
• Dental Hygiene Application & Information — covers dental hygienist licensure requirements
• Intern Permit — for dentists applying under the intern permit pathway
• Anesthesia & Sedation Permit — for practitioners applying to administer anesthesia or sedation

The board's online services portal at portal.ncdentalboard.org supports login-based transactions for existing licensees, including renewal submissions and status tracking.

Fees and license renewal

The North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners publishes a fee schedule on its website. All amounts below are drawn from the fees page scraped in May 2026. Verify current fees at ncdentalboard.org/fees.htm before submitting payment.

Continuing education requirements

Continuing education became mandatory for North Carolina dental licensees on January 1, 1995. The requirement applies annually: dentists must complete 15 hours per calendar year, and dental hygienists must complete 6 hours per calendar year. Each period runs January through December. Newly licensed dentists and hygienists are not required to complete CE in the first calendar year of licensure but must meet the full requirement in subsequent years.

In addition to the CE hour requirement, both dentists and dental hygienists must maintain current CPR certification. As of a rule change in May 2011, the board requires a hands-on or blended CPR course — fully online CPR courses no longer satisfy this requirement. The board's rule at 21 NCAC 16A .0101(5) defines qualifying CPR certification as a course meeting American Red Cross or American Heart Association standards that includes manikin testing in CPR, AED use, unconscious and conscious choking, and rescue breathing.

Continuing education hours are self-reported on the annual license renewal form. The board does not require documentation to be submitted with the renewal; however, each licensee is responsible for retaining proof of completed courses for at least two years and producing it upon request.

Online and correspondence courses count toward the CE requirement, provided they include a post-test and issue a certificate of completion. Qualifying course sponsors include:

• Providers recognized under the ADA Continuing Education Recognition Program (ADA CERP)
• Courses sponsored by the Academy of General Dentistry
• American Dental Association and American Dental Hygienists' Association 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 (study clubs qualify as associations)
• Local, state, or federal governmental entities

Courses must be directly related to patient care; practice management courses do not qualify.

Dentists licensed after January 1, 2019 must also complete a six-hour course on Professionalism and Ethics. This is a one-time requirement, not an annual CE obligation. The course is offered by the North Carolina Dental Society; registration information is available at ncdental.org/events/nc-dental-ce.

Under rules 21 NCAC 16R .0206 (dentists) and 21 NCAC 16I .0206 (dental hygienists), all licensees must complete a one-hour continuing education course on substance abuse and mental health every two years. This one-hour course counts within the existing CE hour requirement — it does not add to the hours already required annually.

Scope of practice

In North Carolina, the practice of dentistry and dental hygiene is defined and limited by state law, with the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners holding authority to promulgate rules and enforce those laws across the profession. The board's regulatory jurisdiction covers dentists, dental hygienists, dental interns, and permit holders operating under anesthesia and sedation authorizations.

The board administers rules under 21 NCAC 16, the administrative code chapter governing dental practice in North Carolina. These rules address topics including licensure requirements, permitted dental procedures, supervision of dental personnel, anesthesia and sedation standards, infection control, and professional conduct. The full text of board rules is available through the North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings and linked from the board's website at ncdentalboard.org/rules.htm.

Filing a complaint

As the state's dental regulatory agency, the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners accepts and investigates complaints against licensed dentists and dental hygienists. The board's jurisdiction covers conduct that may indicate incompetent practice or a violation of dental law. It does not have jurisdiction over the following types of disputes:

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

Consider patient mediation first. Before filing a formal complaint with the board, patients may pursue their concern through the North Carolina Dental Society's Patient Mediation Program. This is an independent program — the NC State Board of Dental Examiners is not affiliated with the NC Dental Society or its mediation program. Mediation decisions are non-binding and do not prevent a subsequent formal complaint to the board. Once a complaint is filed with the board, the Patient Mediation option is no longer available.

How to file. Complaints are accepted only in writing, using the Consumer Complaint Form available on the board's website. All questions on the form should be answered as thoroughly as possible, and any relevant paperwork should be attached. The form can be downloaded from ncdentalboard.org/filing_complaint.htm or requested by contacting the board office.

What happens after filing. The complaint is sent to the subject dentist or hygienist, who is asked to respond. A copy of that response is provided to the complainant. If necessary, a board investigator may conduct interviews. A review panel — consisting of one Board member, three staff members, and the board's attorney — then evaluates whether evidence suggests a violation of dental law. If so, a formal hearing may be scheduled and the complainant may be asked to testify. The entire process can take anywhere from two months to two years, depending on the complexity of the case.

North Carolina Dental Society

The North Carolina Dental Society (NCDS) is the professional membership organization for dentists in North Carolina, representing more than 3,900 member dentists across the state. The NCDS is affiliated with the American Dental Association and pursues a stated mission of connecting, protecting, and supporting members in advancing oral health for North Carolinians.

For patients, the NCDS offers a Find a Dentist directory and dental health resources through its public-facing website. The society is also distinct from the board's regulatory function — membership in the NCDS is voluntary and separate from the state licensure requirements administered by the board.

The NCDS office is located at 1600 Evans Road, Cary, NC 27513. General inquiries can be directed to info@ncdental.org. More information is available at ncdental.org.

Disciplinary actions

The North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners posts recent disciplinary actions on its website. The page is updated quarterly and generally covers actions taken within the past 180 days. Actions listed may include consent orders, reprimands, summary suspensions, and conditional reinstatement orders.

After the 180-day window, all disciplinary orders remain public records and are accessible through the board's license verification and disciplinary history search tool. This external lookup allows searches by practitioner name or license number and is available at members-base.com/NCBDESearch/search.

Recent actions (with corresponding consent order PDFs) are listed at ncdentalboard.org/discipline_action.htm.

Other state dental boards