Wyoming Board of Dentistry

About the Wyoming Board of Dental Examiners

Wyoming's Board of Dental Examiners was created by the state legislature in 1905 to protect the welfare of the public by regulating the practice of dentistry — making it one of the older continuously operating dental boards in the western United States. The legislature expanded the board's mandate in 1921 to include regulation of dental hygienists.

The board is empowered to provide for the licensure and regulation of dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants who take and expose radiographs or place pit and fissure sealants. It conducts the full range of regulatory functions common to state dental boards: evaluating license applications, investigating complaints, conducting disciplinary proceedings, and setting rules governing dental practice in Wyoming.

Two administrative facts distinguish Wyoming's board from those of larger states. First, the board operates solely on fees collected from licensees and receives no state general fund appropriations — its operations are entirely self-funded through the practitioner population it regulates. Second, the board is staffed through the Professional Licensing Boards Office, a division of the state's Administration and Information (A&I) department, rather than maintaining entirely independent staff.

The board's mission, as stated on its website, is to safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of Wyoming citizens by ensuring that individuals licensed to provide dental services in the state are duly qualified.

License types in Wyoming

The Wyoming Board of Dental Examiners licenses and regulates three categories of dental professionals in the state. The board's website organizes licensing information by practitioner type:

• Dentists and sedation providers — the standard dentist license, plus sedation authorization for those dentists who administer anesthesia or sedation. The board groups sedation credentials with the dentist licensing track.
• Dental hygienists — hygienist licensure is a distinct track from dentist licensure, with its own application requirements, CE obligations, and renewal process.
• Dental assistants — Wyoming issues permits (rather than full licenses) to dental assistants who take and expose radiographs or place pit and fissure sealants. The board's public lookup lists an "Active Dental Assistant Permit List" as a separate registry from the dentist and hygienist license lists.

Clinical examinations for dental licensure are addressed on a dedicated page at dental.wyo.gov/licensing/exams. License renewal and CE requirements are likewise documented separately at dental.wyo.gov/licensing/renewals and dental.wyo.gov/licensing/ce.

Applying for a Wyoming dental license

All US dentists seeking initial licensure must pass a recognized national written examination — the Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE), which replaced the earlier NBDE Parts I and II in 2020 — and a clinical examination accepted by the state board. State boards then verify education credentials from accredited dental schools and conduct background checks as part of the application review process.

For Wyoming, application requirements are organized by practitioner category on the board's website at dental.wyo.gov. Separate application tracks exist for dentists (including sedation permits), dental hygienists, and dental assistants seeking radiograph or sealant permits. The board maintains a Clinical Examinations page (dental.wyo.gov/licensing/exams) detailing which examinations it accepts.

Licensure by credentials — the endorsement pathway for dentists already licensed in good standing in another state — is a common pathway across US dental boards. Wyoming's specific endorsement criteria and documentation requirements are found on the dentist licensing section at dental.wyo.gov/licensing/dentists.

The board's credential information document (linked from the public lookup page) details what credentials the board obtains before licensing an individual, which can help applicants prepare their documentation before submitting an application.

Fees and license renewal

State dental boards set licensing fees through formal rule-making processes, typically with public comment periods, and use those fees to fund board operations including license processing, complaint investigation, and disciplinary enforcement. The Wyoming Board of Dental Examiners funds its operations entirely from licensee fees and receives no state general fund appropriations.

Renewal requirements for Wyoming dental practitioners — including the cycle length, fee amounts, and CE obligations that must be satisfied before renewal — are documented at dental.wyo.gov/licensing/renewals. The board maintains separate renewal processes for dentists, hygienists, and dental assistant permit holders.

Continuing education requirements

Continuing education is a standard condition of dental license renewal across US state boards. CE content typically covers clinical practice updates, infection control protocols, jurisprudence and ethics, and CPR refreshers. ADA CERP (Continuing Education Recognition Program) and AGD PACE (Program Approval for Continuing Education) are the two primary national CE accreditation bodies whose courses are widely accepted toward state requirements.

The Wyoming Board of Dental Examiners maintains a continuing education page at dental.wyo.gov/licensing/ce with requirements for the practitioner categories it regulates. CE obligations may differ between dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants holding radiograph or sealant permits — verify the requirement for your specific credential type.

Scope of practice in Wyoming

Scope of practice for each dental practitioner type in Wyoming is defined by the state's dental practice act and the board's rules. The board's own description of its jurisdiction provides useful anchoring language for what each credential type is authorized to do.

The board is empowered to license and regulate dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants who take and expose radiographs or place pit and fissure sealants. This language from the board's overview indicates that the dental assistant permit in Wyoming is specifically tied to radiograph exposure and sealant placement — the two most common expanded-function activities for assistants in states with limited-scope assistant permits.

The board also maintains an X-Ray Inspections function, suggesting it has regulatory authority over radiograph equipment and safety procedures in addition to practitioner scope matters.

Filing a complaint in Wyoming

The Wyoming Board of Dental Examiners regulates the practice of dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants. When filing a complaint, note that complaints must be filed against a specific individual licensee — not against a facility, clinic, corporation, or dental office as an entity.

How complaints are processed

When a complaint is received, it is assigned a complaint number and the board sends a written acknowledgment to the person who filed the complaint. An investigator is assigned and may contact the complainant and any witnesses to gather additional information. After reviewing all information gathered, the investigator makes a recommendation to the board.

The board votes on the investigator's recommendation during a public board meeting. Once the board acts, both the licensee and the complainant are notified of the outcome in writing. The entire process — complaint review, investigation, legal review, and board disposition — may take an extended period depending on the complexity of the case and the board's pending caseload.

Submitting a complaint

The board provides a Complaint Report Form (linked from the complaint page at dental.wyo.gov/public/complaint). A copy of the complaint and all supporting documentation will be provided to the licensee so they have the opportunity to respond to the allegations.

Wyoming Dental Association

The Wyoming Dental Association (WyDA) is the statewide professional membership organization for Wyoming dentists and part of organized dentistry's tripartite membership structure: national membership through the American Dental Association, state membership through the WyDA, and local participation through district and component societies.

The WyDA describes its mission as advancing the dental profession in Wyoming, fostering professional growth, advocating for practitioner opportunities, and promoting high standards of patient care. Membership is open to practicing dentists, recent graduates, and dental students.

Meetings and CE

The WyDA holds an Annual Session that combines continuing education programming with association business. The 2026 Annual Session is scheduled for June 4–7 in Sheridan. The association also holds a Mid-Winter CE event during the off-season. Both events provide members opportunities to earn CE credit while connecting with colleagues across the state.

WyDA membership also provides access to national-level resources through the ADA and local engagement through component dental societies serving different regions of Wyoming.

License lookup and disciplinary records

The Wyoming Board of Dental Examiners maintains two public-facing resources for looking up licensee information and disciplinary history.

License lookup

The board's public lookup page (dental.wyo.gov/public/lookup) provides access to current active license lists for dentists, hygienists, and dental assistant permit holders. The data is updated bi-monthly and is intended for informational and verification purposes. Three roster lists are available: Active Dentists, Active Hygienists, and Active Dental Assistant Permit holders. For verification of specific credentials, the board also accepts emailed verification requests at dentalboard@wyo.gov.

Disciplinary actions

Public disciplinary actions are listed on a separate page at dental.wyo.gov/public/discipline. The board recommends checking the discipline page directly for any public enforcement actions taken against a specific licensee — this information is kept separate from the active license lists.

Other state dental boards