Utah Board of Dentistry

Dental licensing in Utah is administered by the Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL), part of the Utah Department of Commerce. The Dentist and Dental Hygienist Licensing Board is an advisory board created under Utah Code § 58-69-201: DOPL's executive director appoints its members (subject to confirmation by the Governor), and the Board sets professional standards, reviews proposed rules, designates a member to advise on complaint investigations, and hears board matters, while DOPL staff handle day-to-day licensing, renewals, and enforcement.

By statute the Board consists of six licensed dentists, two licensed dental hygienists, and one public member (Utah Code § 58-69-201(1)). Members are appointed to staggered four-year terms and may serve no more than two consecutive terms (Utah Code § 58-1-201). As of this writing, DOPL's published roster lists eight of the Board's nine seats filled: five dentists (Kelly Faddis, DDS; Jennifer Wahlen, DMD; David Howard, DDS; Gregory Gatrell, DDS; Steven Arnold, DDS), two dental hygienists (Sandra Miranda; Joelle Carlile), and one public member (Lorna Koci).

Recent legislative and rule updates

• House Bill 372 (2025 General Session), codified at Utah Code § 58-69-808 and effective May 7, 2025, created certification of Expanded Functions for Dental Auxiliaries (EFDA) for dental hygienists and dental assistants. DOPL has since adopted implementing rules (R156-69-808a, -808b, and -808c) detailing the qualifications, supervision, and continuing education required for each certification — see the Scope of Practice section below.
• Senate Bill 117 (2026 General Session, Chapter 64) amended Utah's general license-by-endorsement statute, Utah Code § 58-1-302, effective July 1, 2026, streamlining how DOPL recognizes an out-of-state license when evaluating Utah applicants — see the License Application section for how this interacts with dentistry-specific endorsement requirements.
• Effective July 1, 2023 (HB 312), all healthcare providers who use a third-party medical records service must report that fact to DOPL.
• The DEA now requires a one-time, 8-hour Medication Assisted Treatment Education (MATE) training for all DEA-registered practitioners.

DOPL issues the following dentistry credentials under Utah Code Title 58, Chapter 69 (the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Practice Act):

• Dentist — standard license to practice dentistry in Utah
• Dental Hygienist — standard dental hygiene license
• Dental Hygienist with Local Anesthesia — hygienist license with authorization to administer local anesthesia
• Dentist – Local Anesthesia Permit
• Dentist – Minimal Sedation Permit, Moderate Sedation Permit, and Deep Sedation & General Anesthesia Permit — each a separate, tiered permit with its own training and case-count requirements
• Dentist Controlled Substance License — required to prescribe Schedule II–V controlled substances
• Dentist Educator and Temporary Dentist / Temporary Dentist Hygienist credentials
• Volunteer Dentist/Hygienist licenses (including volunteer anesthesia and controlled substance variants) for qualified volunteers providing uncompensated care

DOPL has also begun certifying Expanded Functions for Dental Auxiliaries (EFDA) under Utah Code § 58-69-808, created by House Bill 372 (2025): delegated maxillofacial administration of botulinum toxin (dental hygienists only), placement of direct restorations (hygienists or dental assistants), and removal of coronal dental adhesive (hygienists or dental assistants), each performed under a dentist's indirect supervision.

All license types are applied for online through commerce.utah.gov/dopl/dentistry/apply-for-a-license/. To verify an existing Utah dental credential, use the DOPL Licensee Lookup & Verification System.

Utah dental license applications are submitted through My License One (utahdoc.mylicenseone.com), DOPL's online licensing portal, using a UtahID login. Applicants may also apply manually using the paper application for their license type (for example, the Dentist Application, Dental Hygienist Application, or Controlled Substance Application forms linked from each license-type page) and mail or hand-deliver it to DOPL.

Examinations

DOPL's published exam requirements are the same two exams for both license classifications, per Utah Code § 58-69-302:

• Dentists: the Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE), administered by the ADA Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, and one regional clinical exam — ADEX, SRTA, or CRDTS.
• Dental Hygienists: the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE) and one regional clinical exam — ADEX, SRTA, or CRDTS.

Out-of-state applicants (licensure by endorsement)

Utah's dentistry-specific endorsement requirements (Utah Code § 58-69-302(2) and (4), as amended by 2025 General Session Chapter 443, effective May 7, 2025) require an applicant qualifying under the state's general endorsement provision (Utah Code § 58-1-302) to also document:

• Dentists: at least 6,000 hours of clinical practice as a dentist in the five years immediately preceding the Utah application.
• Dental Hygienists: at least 2,000 hours of practice as a dental hygienist in the two years immediately preceding the Utah application.

Applicants with criminal history should review DOPL's Criminal History Guidelines and may request a preliminary determination. Internationally trained applicants should review DOPL's internationally-trained applicant information. Active-duty military members and spouses may qualify for a fee waiver by emailing b9@utah.gov.

Under Utah Administrative Rule R156-69-304a, a licensed dentist or licensed dental hygienist must complete at least 30 hours of qualified continuing professional education (CPE) every two-year renewal cycle. Current CPR/BLS, ACLS, or PALS certification (as applicable to the license or permit) is also required to renew, but recertification hours do not count toward the 30-hour CPE total.

Additional CE by permit or certification

CE format limits

• Unlimited hours for CE completed in blocks of at least 50 minutes through a college/university lecture, professional conference, seminar, or training session sponsored by a qualifying organization (ADA, ADHA, UDA/UDHA, an accredited institution, a government agency, or a peer study club)
• Up to 15 hours may be online or home-study courses that include an examination
• Up to 10 hours may be recognized for teaching CE relevant to dentistry or dental hygiene
• Up to 3 hours may be recognized for CE on practice and office management
• Up to 15% of a licensee's total CE requirement may be fulfilled by providing direct patient care as a volunteer (Utah Code § 58-13-3(8))

A licensee who is first licensed, permitted, or certified partway through a two-year renewal cycle has their required CPE hours increased or decreased proportionately. Licensees must retain CPE documentation for two years after the end of the renewal cycle in which it was completed.

Utah dental scope of practice is governed by Utah Code Title 58, Chapter 69 (the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Practice Act) and Administrative Rule R156-69, administered by DOPL in collaboration with the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Licensing Board.

Dentist license and permit tiers

• General dentist license — full diagnosis and treatment of the teeth, jaws, and supporting structures
• Local Anesthesia Permit — authorizes administration of local anesthesia
• Minimal Sedation, Moderate Sedation, and Deep Sedation & General Anesthesia permits — each a distinct, higher tier with its own didactic-hour and case-count requirements under Rule R156-69-301a/301b
• Controlled Substance License — required to prescribe Schedule II–V controlled substances
• Dermal filler and botulinum toxin authorization — a dentist may administer these in the oral and maxillofacial area for cosmetic purposes (botulinum toxin may also be used therapeutically for TMD, bruxism, and migraines) only after completing the required CPE course under Rule R156-69-301a

Dental hygienists and Expanded Function Dental Auxiliaries (EFDA)

Dental hygienists may hold a Local Anesthesia certification in addition to their base license. House Bill 372 (2025 General Session), codified at Utah Code § 58-69-808, created new EFDA certifications performed under a dentist's indirect supervision:

• Delegated maxillofacial administration of botulinum toxin — dental hygienists only (Rule R156-69-808a)
• Placement of direct restorations — certified dental hygienists or certified dental assistants (Rule R156-69-808b)
• Removal of coronal dental adhesive — certified dental hygienists or certified dental assistants (Rule R156-69-808c)

Complaints against Utah-licensed dentists and dental hygienists are handled by DOPL's Investigations division, which investigates allegations of unprofessional conduct or violations of Utah's occupational and professional licensing laws.

How to file

• File a complaint online through DOPL's complaint portal, or download and mail/submit the manual Complaint Form (PDF)
• Complete every section of the form; write "N/A" for any section that does not apply to your situation
• DOPL will notify you once your complaint is reviewed and inform you what action, if any, the Division can take

By law, complaints concerning a violation of Utah's occupational and professional laws are not public information. DOPL cannot act as your attorney to settle a dispute or recover money on your behalf, and cannot investigate a complaint solely to benefit your personal litigation — but your complaint still informs DOPL of a possible legal violation. For questions, call DOPL at (801) 530-6628 (Mon–Fri, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. MST) or email dopl@utah.gov.

Related resources

• License Probation and Compliance — information on licensees currently under DOPL monitoring or restrictions
• Upcoming Board meetings and past Board meetings
• Disciplinary Newsletters — periodic summaries of DOPL enforcement actions across all regulated professions

Utah maintains two separate public tools for checking a dentist's or dental hygienist's status and enforcement history.

License status: the Licensee Lookup & Verification System (LLV)

Use DOPL's Licensee Lookup & Verification System at secure.utah.gov/llv to confirm a license's current status, type, and expiration date. The tool supports two search modes:

• Name and Profession — search for results beginning with or containing a name (wildcard search), optionally narrowed to the "DENTAL" profession category, which lists every Utah dental credential (Dentist, Dental Hygienist, Dental Hygienist with Local Anesthesia, Dentist – Local/Minimal/Moderate/Deep Sedation permits, Dentist Controlled Substance, Dentist Educator, and volunteer/temporary variants)
• License Number — search directly if you know the licensee's number

Enforcement history: Agency & Disciplinary Actions

DOPL's Disciplinary Actions and Citations database (hosted at db.dopl.utah.gov) is a separate, searchable record of formal disciplinary orders and citations issued against Utah licensees, including dentists and dental hygienists. DOPL also publishes periodic Disciplinary Newsletters summarizing recent enforcement actions across all regulated professions, and a Probation and Compliance page listing licensees currently under monitoring or practice restrictions.