Texas Board of Dentistry

The Texas State Board of Dental Examiners (TSBDE) performs four core functions:

• Evaluating and issuing licenses to qualified dentists, dental hygienists, registered dental assistants, and dental laboratories
• Investigating complaints filed by patients and others against licensed practitioners within its jurisdiction
• Conducting disciplinary proceedings and imposing sanctions on licensees who violate Texas dental practice rules
• Providing peer assistance programs and related information services to licensees and their patients

The Board's mission is to protect the public health and safety and promote high quality and safe dental care through enforcement, licensing, peer assistance, and related information services. One important boundary on its authority: the TSBDE does not have jurisdiction over fee disputes between patients and dental providers — those are directed to a legal professional or consumer protection resources.

Board composition

Under Texas Occupations Code § 252.001, the State Board of Dental Examiners consists of 11 members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate:

• 6 dentist members, actively practicing in Texas for at least 5 years before appointment
• 3 dental hygienist members, actively practicing in Texas for at least 5 years before appointment
• 2 public members

Members serve staggered six-year terms, with one-third of terms expiring February 1 of each odd-numbered year (Tex. Occ. Code § 252.004). By statute the Board must meet at least twice a year (§ 252.009); in practice, Board meetings are held approximately once per quarter.

The Texas State Board of Dental Examiners licenses and regulates the following categories:

• Dentist — general practice license
• Dental Hygienist — preventive and clinical hygiene services
• Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) — Texas's licensed dental assistant credential, with an optional X-ray certification
• Dental Laboratory — registration for labs fabricating dental appliances
• Mobile Dental Facility / Portable Dental Unit — separate registration and annual permit for mobile and portable practice settings

Dentists who administer anesthesia or sedation must hold an active Texas Dental License before applying for a separate anesthesia permit: Nitrous Oxide, Level 1 (minimal sedation), Level 2/3 (moderate sedation), or Level 4 (deep sedation/general anesthesia). Dental hygienists may also be certified to administer local infiltration anesthesia or to monitor nitrous oxide.

The Board also administers a Professional Recovery Network (peer assistance program) for licensees addressing substance use or behavioral health concerns, as an adjunct to or alternative from disciplinary action in appropriate circumstances.

Texas dentist applicants apply online through the State of Texas Licensing System, then mail supporting documentation to the Board's Austin office. Allow 4–6 weeks for review once a complete package is received; deficiencies are emailed to the address on the application.

License by Exam — required documentation

• One 2×2 passport photo
• Copy of a REAL ID-compliant driver's license, passport, or naturalization/citizenship certificate
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR certification, including hands-on skills demonstration
• Official sealed transcript from a CODA-accredited dental school
• National Boards Parts I and II or INBDE scores (electronically validated by TSBDE)
• Clinical examination results within 7 years — TSBDE currently validates scores from ADEX and CRDTS-SRTA
• TSBDE Jurisprudence Assessment for dentists without sedation, dated within one year of submission ($54.00)
• National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) self-query, valid 60 days, in the original sealed envelope
• HHS-approved Human Trafficking Prevention course certificate (required since October 1, 2021)

Licensure by credentials (out-of-state licensees)

Texas offers a credentials pathway for dentists already licensed in another state, DC, or a US territory, provided that license followed a clinical examination from another state or regional examining board. Applicants must also show:

• An active license in good standing in the other jurisdiction
• Practice for a minimum of 3 of the 5 years immediately preceding application — or 5 years as a dental educator at a CODA-accredited school
• 12 hours of CE completed within the preceding 12 months: at least 8 hours technical/scientific, up to 4 hours risk management, up to 4 hours self-study
• A National Practitioner Data Bank self-query and an American Association of Dental Boards (AADB) self-query report
• A completed Proof of Practice affidavit (cannot be filled out by the applicant)

After approval: activating your license

A newly issued Texas dentist license starts in Expired status. To activate it, you must complete the initial renewal process and pay a prorated activation fee online through the State of Texas Licensing System. Your approval letter authorizes practice for 30 days while you complete this step; your first license may then be valid for 18–30 months, and a renewal postcard reminder is mailed to the address on file 60 days before expiration. Military applicants are exempt from the activation fee.

All Texas dentists and dental hygienists holding an active license must biennially complete a minimum of 24 hours of continuing education, as required by Occupations Code § 257.005 and TSBDE Rule 104.1, after their first renewal and before each subsequent renewal.

• At least 16 hours must be technical/scientific coursework directly enhancing clinical care
• Up to 8 hours may be risk-management courses (recordkeeping, HIPAA, ethics)
• Up to 8 hours may be self-study (correspondence, video, audio, or reading courses) from approved providers
• OSHA and CPR coursework, and practice-finance coursework, do not count toward the 24-hour total
• A Human Trafficking Prevention course (executive commissioner-approved) must be completed as part of the 24 hours
• A Jurisprudence Assessment must be completed every 4 years — separate from, and not counted within, the 24-hour CE total
• Up to 24 excess classroom/lecture hours earned in the year before renewal may be carried forward ("banked") to the next cycle

Sedation and controlled-substance CE

Dentists holding a Level 2–4 sedation permit must also pass the Anesthesia Jurisprudence Examination once every 5 years, and are not subject to the standard 4-year Jurisprudence Assessment.

Any dentist permitted by the DEA to prescribe controlled substances must complete a one-time 2-hour CE course on prescribing and monitoring controlled substances (these hours count toward the recordkeeping/risk-management requirement). Effective January 1, 2021, dentists whose practice includes direct patient care must also complete 4 CE hours per biennial renewal on safe and effective opioid/controlled-substance pain management, covering reasonable standards of care, identifying drug-seeking behavior, and patient communication; the one-time 2-hour DEA course counts toward this 4-hour requirement, and both may satisfy the technical/scientific requirement.

Licensees sign an attestation at renewal confirming their CE hours; about 5% of renewals are randomly audited each month, and licensees selected for audit submit proof through portal.esslearning.com/tsbde. Licensees who don't comply are not eligible for renewal until the hours are obtained.

The TSBDE's jurisdiction covers four practitioner/entity categories: dentists, dental hygienists, registered dental assistants, and dental laboratories. Detailed scope-of-practice rules — what procedures each may perform, under what supervision, and in what settings — are set out in the Dental Practice Act (Occupations Code Title 3) and the Board's rules.

Dental hygienist direct access

Under Texas Occupations Code § 262.1515, a dental hygienist with at least two years of experience may provide dental hygiene services in a school-based health center, nursing facility, or community health center for up to six months without the patient first being examined by a dentist, subject to conditions in the statute and Board rules.

Anesthesia and sedation

Dentists who administer general anesthesia or sedation must hold an active Texas Dental License and a separate anesthesia permit (Nitrous Oxide, Level 1, Level 2/3, or Level 4) before providing those services. PALS is required for Level 2–4 permit holders who sedate children 13 or younger.

The Texas State Board of Dental Examiners investigates complaints alleging quality-of-care problems, sanitation violations, professional conduct issues, patient abandonment, and failure to comply with TSBDE rules, under Occupations Code Chapter 255 and TSBDE Rules 107.00–107.103. TSBDE also assists local law enforcement with unlicensed-practice investigations. The Board does not have jurisdiction over fee disputes.

Submitting a complaint

All complaints must be submitted in writing on the official TSBDE Complaint Form. Anonymous complaints are not accepted. Complaints may be submitted:

• By email — complaints@tsbde.texas.gov
• By fax — 512-649-2732
• By mail — Texas State Board of Dental Examiners, Attn: Investigations Division, 1801 Congress Ave., Suite 8.600, Austin, TX 78701

How complaints are reviewed

• A preliminary review determines whether TSBDE has jurisdiction. Complaints outside the Board's jurisdiction are dismissed as Non-Jurisdictional; those within jurisdiction but lacking enough information may be closed as Jurisdictional: Not Filed.
• Complaints with sufficient information proceed as Jurisdictional: Filed and are reviewed by the Dental Director and/or Director of Investigations to determine the course of investigation.
• Investigative staff gather patient records, billing records, and interviews; standard-of-care allegations are reviewed by the Dental Review Panel.
• Identified violations go to the TSBDE Legal Division; cases with insufficient evidence are dismissed, minor non-patient-care violations may resolve with an Administrative Penalty, and formal discipline (Board Orders or Remedial Plans) is voted on by the Board, which meets approximately quarterly.

Complainants are notified in writing of case status at least quarterly, and again when final action is taken. Restitution may be ordered only where treatment fell below the standard of care, and is limited to actual out-of-pocket expenses — complainants seeking other damages should consult a private attorney.

License status and disciplinary history for Texas dental professionals are searched through the TSBDE Public License Search at ls.tsbde.texas.gov. TSBDE certifies that it maintains this data itself, performs daily updates, and treats the site as a secure, primary source for license verification — website visitors cannot edit or modify what's displayed. All disciplinary actions and remedial plans are searchable through this tool.

How to search

The portal lets you search and filter by:

• License number, or first/middle/last name and city/state
• License status — Active, Active/Probate, Cancelled, Charity, Deceased, ENF Suspension, Expired, Expired–NSF, Retired, Revoked, or Voluntary Surrender
• Disciplinary Actions filter (Yes/No)
• Remedial Plans filter (Yes/No)
• License category tab: Dentists, Dental Assistants, Hygienists, or Labs/Mobile Facilities

You can also verify a license through the State of Texas Licensing System. TSBDE separately publishes standalone lists of Disciplinary Actions, Non-Disciplinary Actions, and Cease and Desist Orders under Laws & Rules.