Tennessee Board of Dentistry

The Tennessee Board of Dentistry was created by the state legislature in 1957 (Acts 1957, ch. 32) and operates within the Tennessee Department of Health's Division of Health Related Boards. The Board's mission is to safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of Tennesseans by requiring those who practice as dentists, dental hygienists, or dental assistants in the state to be qualified, and by investigating and disciplining licensees who violate the Dental Practice Act (T.C.A. Title 63, Chapter 5) and Board rules.

Under T.C.A. § 63-5-102, the Board consists of 10 members appointed by the Governor: seven practicing dentists (two from each of the state's three grand divisions, with the seventh seat alternating among the divisions), two practicing dental hygienists, and one practicing registered dental assistant. Nominees are submitted by professional groups including the Tennessee Dental Association, the Tennessee Dental Hygienists' Association, and the Tennessee Dental Assistants' Association. Members serve staggered three-year terms and may serve no more than three consecutive full terms (T.C.A. § 63-5-103).

Administrative support for the Board is provided by the Department of Health's Division of Health Related Boards. Renewal notices are mailed - or emailed, for licensees who opt in - approximately 45 days before a license expires; licensees are responsible for renewing on time and keeping current contact information on file with the Board.

The Tennessee Board of Dentistry issues credentials in three categories. Every active license and its current status can be confirmed through the state's Tennessee Licensure Verification portal, which is updated daily.

Dentists

• Full licensure (by examination or by criteria/reciprocity)
• Limited licensure and Limited Educational licensure
• Dual degree licensure
• Limited Conscious Sedation, Comprehensive Conscious Sedation, and Deep Sedation/General Anesthesia permits
• Specialty certification (13 recognized specialties, including Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Orthodontics, Periodontics, and Endodontics)

Dental Hygienists

• Full licensure (by examination or by criteria)
• Educational licensure
• Certifications: Administration and Monitoring of Nitrous Oxide, Administration of Local Anesthesia, Restorative Function, Prosthetic Function, and Limited Prescriptive Authority

Dental Assistants

• Registration (no formal education required beyond a high school diploma or GED)
• Certifications: Dental Radiology, Coronal Polishing, Monitoring Nitrous Oxide, Sealant Application, Restorative Function, and Prosthetic Function

Applicants for dentist, dental hygienist, and dental assistant credentials apply online through LARS at lars.tn.gov, where required documents can be attached and fees paid by credit card, debit card, or e-check. Official transcripts must be mailed directly from the applicant's dental or dental hygiene program to the Board's office at 665 Mainstream Drive, Nashville, TN 37243 - they cannot be submitted by the applicant.

Exams accepted

• Regional clinical boards: Southern Regional Testing Agency (SRTA), Western Regional Examining Board (WREB), Central Regional Dental Testing Service (CRDTS), Commission on Dental Competency Assessments (CDCA/ADEX), and Council of Interstate Testing Agencies (CITA/ADEX)
• The National Board Dental Examination (dentists) or National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (hygienists)

Dentists licensed by examination, by criteria, or under a limited license must have passed the applicable regional clinical exam and the National Board exam (Rule 0460-02-.01(1) & (2)-(3)). Dental hygienists follow the equivalent standard under Rule 0460-03-.01.

Jurisprudence exam

Every applicant - for initial licensure, reinstatement, reactivation, and each renewal cycle - must pass the Board's open-book jurisprudence exam, which covers Tennessee's dental statutes and rules. The exam is not scored; a licensee must simply answer 25 questions correctly to receive a completion confirmation. It becomes available online 60-65 days before a license's expiration date and is taken at the Board's jurisprudence exam site.

Out-of-state (criteria/reciprocity) licensure

• Dentists - a dentist licensed and actively practicing or teaching in another state for at least five years may qualify for licensure by criteria without a regional clinical exam; applicants with two to five years of practice must submit exam scores and additional information directly from the examining agency (Rule 0460-02-.01(1) & (3)).
• Dental Hygienists - a hygienist actively licensed and practicing in another state for three of the preceding five years may qualify by criteria (Rule 0460-03-.02).

Tennessee requires continuing education (CE) on a fixed two-calendar-year cycle - January 1 of an odd-numbered year through December 31 of the following even-numbered year - regardless of when a license was issued. Failure to comply can result in disciplinary action, which is then reported on the state's license verification site.

CE hours by license type

• Dentists - at least 2 of the 40 hours must cover prescribing of controlled substances, including the Tennessee Chronic Pain Guidelines; a current CPR card (BLS Healthcare Provider or equivalent, taught in person with a hands-on skills exam) must be maintained at all times.
• Dentists with a sedation or anesthesia permit - an additional 4 of the 40 hours must cover sedation and/or anesthesia each cycle, and the permit holder must maintain current ACLS certification (PALS may substitute for pediatric dentists).
• Dental Hygienists - at least 2 of the 30 hours must cover chemical dependency; no more than 50% of the 30 hours may be completed online or web-based (a live interactive webinar counts as in-person, effective July 1, 2022).
• Registered Dental Assistants - at least 2 of the 24 hours must cover chemical dependency.

Acceptable CE and credit rules

• Courses sponsored or approved by the ADA, Academy of General Dentistry, ADHA, National Dental Association, Capital City Dental Society, or an accredited dental/dental hygiene/dental assisting school, among other listed sponsors
• Up to 10 CE credits per cycle for attendance at state, regional, or national dental meetings (5 hours per meeting)
• Hour-for-hour credit for ACLS or PALS courses
• 20 hours for authorship of a peer-reviewed publication relevant to dentistry
• 4 hours of credit per hour of an initial CE course presentation (up to 20 hours per cycle), hour-for-hour for repeat presentations

The Board conducts random monthly audits of CE and CPR compliance - being audited in one year does not exempt a licensee from being audited again the next. Licensees must retain proof of completion (showing topic, hours, instructor, and dates) for three years and only submit it if selected for audit. Waivers for documented physical incapacity require a written request and a supporting physician's statement sent directly to the Board (Rule 0460-1-.05(5)).

Tennessee law and Board rules define a distinct scope of practice for each of the Board's three credential types.

• Dentists - the full range of procedures authorized under a dental license, including specialty practice for those holding Board specialty certification.
• Dental Hygienists - preventive and periodontal services defined by Rule 0460-03-.09, which also lists procedures requiring an added certification (local anesthesia, nitrous oxide, restorative or prosthetic functions) and procedures that are prohibited. Hygienists may practice under general supervision or a dentist's written protocol under T.C.A. §§ 63-5-108(c) and 63-5-115(b), (d), though some procedures are excluded from general supervision.
• Dental Assistants - supportive chairside functions defined by Rule 0460-04-.08, always performed under a dentist's direct, in-office supervision; dental assistants may never practice without a dentist physically present (T.C.A. § 63-5-115).

Anyone who believes a Tennessee-licensed dental professional has violated the Dental Practice Act or Board rules may file a complaint (called an "Allegations Report") with the Department of Health's Office of Investigations, which handles complaints for all of Tennessee's health-related boards.

How to file

• Online - complete the online complaint form, which emails you a copy automatically.
• By phone - call the Office of Investigations at (800) 852-2187.
• By mail - print and mail the complaint form (PH-3466) to the Board's office.

What happens next

• The Office of Investigations reviews every complaint within three business days.
• A licensed clinical consultant and a Department attorney then review the allegations; if a violation may be provable, the file goes to a field investigator, who may request patient records or contact the complainant for more information.
• The review and investigation process can take several months depending on complexity. If the Board takes formal disciplinary action, it is reported on the Licensure Verification portal.

License status and disciplinary history for Tennessee dental professionals can be searched through the Tennessee Licensure Verification portal at internet.health.tn.gov/Licensure, the official verification site for all of the state's Health Related Boards.

How to search

• Enter a name, city, or license number, and select the profession - Dentist, Dental Hygienist, or Registered Dental Assistant.
• Results display current license status, and - when applicable - the licensee's Disciplinary history, Practitioner Profile, and Abuse Registry data.
• Data is pulled from the state's Regulatory Board Data System and refreshed daily.

Tennessee also publishes a statewide monthly Disciplinary Action Report (DAR) covering all Health Related Boards, available as PDFs on the Health Professional Boards page, and offers a free email subscription to the monthly DAR by request to the Department.