Virginia Board of Dentistry

The Virginia Board of Dentistry is housed within the Virginia Department of Health Professions (DHP). Pursuant to § 54.1-2702 of the Code of Virginia, the Board consists of 10 members appointed by the Governor: seven dentists, two dental hygienists, and one citizen member. Professional members must be licensed practitioners of acknowledged ability who have practiced dentistry or dental hygiene in the Commonwealth for at least three years. Members serve four-year terms, and the Board annually elects a president and a secretary-treasurer from among its members.

DHP's mission is to ensure safe and competent patient care by licensing health professionals, enforcing standards of practice, and providing information to healthcare practitioners and the public. The Board carries out this mission for dentistry by examining and licensing dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants II, and a range of related permits and registrations, and by investigating complaints and taking disciplinary action for violations of law.

The Virginia Board of Dentistry issues licenses, permits, registrations, and certifications for the following credential types:

• Dentist
• Dental Hygienist
• Dental Assistant II
• Dental Faculty and Dental Hygienist Faculty
• Dental Temporary Permit and Dental Hygienist Temporary Permit
• Restricted Volunteer (dentist and dental hygienist)
• Dentist Volunteer Registration
• Dentist-Temporary Resident
• Oral/Maxillofacial Surgeon Registration
• Cosmetic Procedure Certification
• Mobile Dental Facility / Portable Dental Operation Registration
• Moderate Sedation Permit
• Deep Sedation/General Anesthesia Permit

Effective July 1, 2026, HB 1036 and SB 282 also permit the Board to license as dental hygienists certain dentists who trained outside the United States, creating a new pathway for internationally trained dental professionals who pass the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and complete a Board-required clinical assessment.

Virginia dental license applications are submitted through the Board's online Application Wizard at dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Dentistry/ApplicantResources/Applyforalicense/, which walks applicants through the requirements for their specific license type. Supporting documents and reinstatement or reactivation applications that must be mailed are sent to:

Virginia Board of Dentistry
Perimeter Center
9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300
Henrico, Virginia 23233-1463

Licensure by examination (18VAC60-21-210(A))

• Successful completion of all parts of the National Board Dental Examination given by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations
• Passage of a dental clinical competency examination accepted by the Board
• Applicants who fail any section of the clinical competency exam three times must complete at least 14 hours of additional clinical training in that section before a fourth attempt
• Applicants who passed their clinical competency exam five or more years before applying may be required to retest or complete additional clinical training unless they can show 48 of the past 60 months of continuous clinical, ethical, and legal practice in another U.S. jurisdiction or in federal civil or military service

Licensure by credentials (reciprocity/endorsement) (18VAC60-21-210(B))

Out-of-state dentists may apply for a Virginia license by credentials if they:

• Have passed all parts of the National Board Dental Examination
• Have passed a clinical competency examination acceptable to the Board
• Hold a current, unrestricted license in another U.S. jurisdiction and are certified to be in good standing in each jurisdiction where they hold or have held a license
• Have been in continuous clinical practice in another U.S. jurisdiction, or in federal civil or military service, for five of the six years immediately preceding application, with each qualifying year consisting of at least 600 hours of practice (active patient care as a public health clinic volunteer, intern, or resident may count)

Virginia does not require a separate jurisprudence examination for dental licensure. Current laws and regulations governing dentistry in Virginia are available at dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Dentistry/PractitionerResources/LawsRegulations/.

Virginia dentists and dental hygienists must each complete continuing education as a condition of their annual license renewal, under 18VAC60-21-250 (dentists) and 18VAC60-25-190 (dental hygienists).

• A minimum of 15 hours of approved continuing education is required for each annual renewal
• The requirement is waived for the first renewal following initial licensure, and for any renewal of a restricted volunteer license
• Dentists must maintain current hands-on CPR/basic life support certification for health care providers (or advanced life support with simulated airway/megacode training, if required by a sedation or anesthesia permit); dental hygienists must maintain a current hands-on CPR course
• Licensees who administer or monitor patients under general anesthesia, deep sedation, or moderate sedation must complete 4 hours every two years specific to that sedation/anesthesia, counted within the annual 15-hour total
• Up to 3 of the 15 hours may be satisfied by delivering dental or dental hygiene services, without compensation, to low-income patients through a local health department or free clinic
• Excess hours may be carried forward to the next renewal year, up to a maximum of 15 hours

Acceptable CE consists of clinical courses in dentistry or dental hygiene, or nonclinical courses supporting clinical skills (patient management, legal/ethical responsibilities, stress management, risk management, recordkeeping). Estate planning, financial planning, investments, business management, marketing, and personal health courses do not qualify. Licensees must keep original documentation of each course — date, subject, sponsor, and hours earned — for four years following renewal, and the Board may audit compliance after the renewal period.

The Board may grant an exemption from CE requirements for circumstances beyond a licensee's control (temporary disability, mandatory military service, an officially declared disaster) with a written request submitted before renewal, or an extension of up to one year on written request. Details by profession are available at dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Dentistry/PractitionerResources/ContinuingEducation/.

The Virginia Board of Dentistry regulates a broad range of dental practice activities through its licensing authority. Notable scope-defining credentials include:

• Dental Assistant II — expanded-function dental assisting credential. Effective July 1, 2026, HB 970/SB 178 amended § 54.1-2729.01 of the Code of Virginia to let trained and certified Dental Assistants I and II with sufficient clinical experience perform supragingival scaling and coronal polishing under indirect supervision
• Oral/Maxillofacial Surgeon — specialist registration beyond general dentist licensure
• Cosmetic Procedure Certification — for practitioners performing cosmetic procedures within the scope of dental practice
• Mobile Dental Facility / Portable Dental Operation Registration — for practitioners providing dental services in mobile or portable settings
• Moderate Sedation Permit and Deep Sedation/General Anesthesia Permit — required for administering sedation beyond nitrous oxide analgesia
• Restricted Volunteer and Dentist Volunteer credentials — for practitioners providing volunteer dental care
• Dental hygienist remote supervision — permitted under § 54.1-2722(F) of the Code of Virginia for hygienists who complete the Board's required 2-hour CE course on remote supervision

Current laws and regulations governing scope of practice are available at dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Dentistry/PractitionerResources/LawsRegulations/.

The Virginia Department of Health Professions' Enforcement Division investigates complaints about healthcare practitioners — including dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants — who may have violated a law or regulation.

Before filing: preliminary options

Patients who wish to resolve a concern before filing a formal complaint may request free mediation through the Virginia Dental Association's patient mediation program, available at vadental.org/for-our-patients/patient-request-for-mediation, regardless of whether the dentist is a VDA member.

Filing a formal complaint

• Start at dhp.virginia.gov/PractitionerResources/Enforcement/FileaComplaint/, or complete a printable Complaint Form (available in Word or PDF)
• Provide your name, address, and phone number (complaints may be filed anonymously, but DHP cannot guarantee anonymity and an anonymous complaint may be harder to investigate)
• Identify the practitioner by full name and license type
• Provide a detailed summary of your concerns and attach copies — not originals — of any supporting documents
• Return the completed form by email to enfcomplaints@dhp.virginia.gov, by fax to (804) 212-2174, or by mail
• To file verbally or request a paper form, call the Enforcement Division at 1-800-533-1560 or (804) 367-4691

Once submitted, a complaint cannot be withdrawn, and DHP cannot provide a copy of the submitted complaint form. DHP also does not have authority to require a licensee to return money or provide other personal remedies to a patient — there is no restitution process; a civil claim would be required for financial damages.

What happens after you file

If the complaint is within DHP's jurisdiction, the Enforcement Division logs it, assesses it, and investigates as appropriate, including collecting documents and conducting interviews. A written acknowledgment of receipt is sent if a mailing address is provided. Cases are generally investigated within about three months, though timeframes vary, and are then forwarded to the Board for consideration. For questions about a scheduled informal conference or formal hearing, contact the Board's Discipline Case Manager, Donna M. Lee, at (804) 367-4622 or denbd@dhp.virginia.gov.

License status and disciplinary history for Virginia dental professionals can be searched through the DHP's interactive license lookup at dhp.virginiainteractive.org/Lookup/Index. The database includes current (unexpired) licensee records as well as records of licenses that have expired since January 1, 2000, and it serves as primary source verification of the credential issued by the Commonwealth of Virginia, meeting the requirements of the Joint Commission.

Search options include:

• License number
• Last four digits of Social Security Number plus last name
• Occupation type, name, state, zip code, or license status — individually or in combination

Occupation types available in the lookup include Dentist, Dental Hygienist, Dental Assistant II, Dental Faculty, Dental Hygienist Faculty, Restricted Volunteer, Temporary Permit holders, Oral/Maxillofacial Surgeon Registration, Cosmetic Procedure Certification, Mobile Dental Facility, and sedation permit holders. Note this is a free public information service not intended for bulk or commercial use; businesses needing bulk license data must subscribe separately.