Wisconsin Board of Dentistry

Wisconsin regulates the practice of dentistry through the Dentistry Examining Board, created under Wis. Stat. § 15.405(6) and operating within the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS). The Board's regulatory authority is set out in Wis. Stat. ch. 447.

The Board is composed of 11 members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the state Legislature to four-year terms: 6 licensed dentists, 3 licensed dental hygienists, and 2 public members. Members whose terms have expired may continue serving until a successor is confirmed by the Senate.

The Board publishes the following statement of purpose:

"The Dentistry Examining Board believes the citizens of Wisconsin need unrestricted access to dental services for public health and safety. We believe the dental profession is able to use their training, education, experience and expertise to determine the best course of care for our Wisconsin residents and our patients."

DSPS administers all Board licensing transactions — including a partnership with Marquette University School of Dentistry, the state's only dental school, to survey the state's dental workforce at the point of license renewal as part of the department's Workforce Ready Wisconsin initiative.

The Dentistry Examining Board licenses dental professionals under Wis. Stat. ch. 447. Applications, renewals, and license status checks are all administered through DSPS's online LicensE platform at license.wi.gov.

License and certification types

• Dentist — general practice license for graduates of an ADA-accredited dental program who pass the required examinations.
• Dental Hygienist — license for preventive and clinical hygiene procedures, with optional specialty certificates to administer local anesthesia (Wis. Admin. Code ch. DE 7) and/or nitrous oxide (ch. DE 15).
• Dental Therapist — a mid-level provider license requiring graduation from an accredited dental therapy education program (or a Minnesota Board of Dentistry-approved program predating February 2, 2024).
• Expanded Function Dental Auxiliary — a certification created under Wis. Admin. Code § DE 13.045, effective July 1, 2024.
• Mobile Dentistry Program Registrant — required for dental services delivered outside a fixed practice location, under Wis. Admin. Code ch. DE 10 (effective October 1, 2016).

Dentists administering moderate or deep sedation must also hold a separate anesthesia/conscious sedation permit under Wis. Admin. Code ch. DE 11; minimal sedation does not require a permit.

New applicants apply and pay fees online through DSPS's LicensE platform at license.wi.gov. Wisconsin recognizes both examination and endorsement applicants.

Examination requirements

• Passing scores from the National Board Dental Examination (or National Board of Dental Hygiene Examiners for hygienists), sent directly from the testing body — both passing and failing scores are required.
• A regional clinical examination approved by the Board: CRDTS, WREB, CDCA, SRTA, ADEX, or CITA. A passing score of 85% is required.
• Current CPR/AED certification.

Wisconsin Law Examination

All applicants must pass an online examination on the Wisconsin Statutes and Administrative Code governing dentistry before a license can be issued. Key details:

• Fee: $75.00, paid as part of the LicensE application
• Taken online at eptol.drl.wi.gov (select "Test Launching," instructor code "gsp")
• Untimed — may be completed over a 3-month window
• Content drawn from Wis. Admin. Code chs. DE 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12 and Wis. Stat. chs. 252, 440, 447, and 961

Endorsement (out-of-state licensees)

Applicants who hold a valid dental license in good standing issued by another U.S. jurisdiction or Canada may apply by endorsement under Wis. Admin. Code § DE 2.04(1) (dentists) or § DE 2.04(2) (dental hygienists). Each jurisdiction where the applicant has ever held a license must submit a letter of verification directly to the Board.

Foreign-trained dentists

Graduates of a foreign dental school must submit evidence of either a DDS/DMD degree from an accredited dental school, or a dental diploma from a full-time, undergraduate supplemental dental education program of at least two academic years at an accredited school providing education to the level of a DDS/DMD graduate.

Continuing education requirements are set out in Wis. Admin. Code ch. DE 13 and must be completed during the 2-year period immediately preceding each renewal date.

CE hours by license type (per biennium)

Dentist requirement breakdown (30 hours) — DE 13.03

• At least 25 hours of instruction in clinical dentistry or clinical medicine
• 2 hours in prescribing controlled substances for the treatment of dental pain
• Up to 4 hours may be earned by teaching or preparing a professional dental or medical program
• 1 college-level credit hour counts as 6 CE hours
• Independent study, correspondence, and internet courses are all accepted
• Active enrollment in an accredited post-doctoral residency for at least 12 months of the cycle satisfies the full requirement
• New licensees are exempt from CE for their first renewal after initial licensure

Dental Therapist, Dental Hygienist & Expanded Function Dental Auxiliary (12 hours each)

• No more than 2 of the 12 hours may be satisfied through basic life support or CPR training
• At least 2 of the 12 hours must be in infection control
• Dental therapists who hold a federal DEA registration must also complete 2 of their 12 hours on prescribing controlled substances for dental pain

All licensees must maintain written CE records for at least 6 years after completing each credit hour. The Board may waive CE requirements for exceptional circumstances such as prolonged illness or disability.

Dental practice in Wisconsin is governed by Wis. Stat. ch. 447, which the Dentistry Examining Board interprets and enforces through its administrative rules.

Mobile and off-site dental services

Wis. Admin. Code ch. DE 10 (effective October 1, 2016) established a dedicated regulatory framework for mobile dentistry — dental care delivered outside a fixed practice location, such as in schools or community settings. Providers must register as a Mobile Dentistry Program in addition to holding standard licensure.

Anesthesia and sedation

Under Wis. Admin. Code ch. DE 11 (amended effective September 1, 2020), dentists administering only minimal sedation do not need a separate Board permit. Dentists administering moderate or deep sedation or general anesthesia must obtain an anesthesia/conscious sedation permit from the Board; once granted, the permit renews automatically with the dental license without further education.

Dental hygienists

Dental hygienists hold a separate license from dentists and may obtain optional specialty certificates to administer local anesthesia (ch. DE 7) or nitrous oxide (ch. DE 15) after completing the required training and verification forms.

Complaints against Wisconsin dental licensees are handled by DSPS's Division of Legal Services and Compliance (DLSC) — staffed by attorneys, investigators, and legal staff who screen, investigate, and where appropriate prosecute complaints against credential holders.

How to file a complaint

• Online (preferred) — submit at license.wi.gov/s/public-complaint-form. Use the DSPS A-Z Professions List "Type" column to select the correct category — dentistry falls under "Health."
• By mail — print and complete the complaint form and mail it to: Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, Division of Legal Services and Compliance, P.O. Box 7190, Madison, WI 53707-7190.

Because of Wisconsin's Open Records law, confidentiality cannot be guaranteed — in most cases, your name will be disclosed to the licensee so they can respond.

Investigation and outcomes

DSPS receives approximately 3,000 complaints per year across all regulated professions, and an opened investigation may take in excess of a year to reach a conclusion. Discipline serves three purposes: protecting the public, rehabilitating the credential holder, and deterring other credential holders. Formal disciplinary actions are monitored for compliance by DLSC's Monitoring Unit.

Alternatives to filing a DSPS complaint

• Discuss the concern directly with the dentist or their supervisor
• Small claims court, for complaints of a financial nature
• Individual legal action / private attorney representation
• Your insurer's complaint process, if the dispute involves billing paid in part by insurance
• Local law enforcement, if you believe a crime was committed

Wisconsin splits license verification into two separate DSPS tools — a quick status lookup, and a full disciplinary order archive.

Current license status

• Go to licensesearch.wi.gov, DSPS's official credential lookup portal.
• Search by the practitioner's name or credential number.
• Results show current status — Active, Inactive, Suspended, Revoked — and any active disciplinary conditions attached to the credential.

This lookup constitutes official certification of licensure and is accepted for Joint Commission and NCQA primary-source verification purposes.

Full disciplinary order history: Reports of Decisions

For the text of formal disciplinary orders — not just current status — use DSPS's Reports of Decisions portal, linked from the Orders and Disciplinary Actions page at license.wi.gov/s/public-facing-orders-search. This database contains orders issued by DSPS credentialing authorities from November 1998 to the present, plus many (though not all) orders from 1977 through November 1998.

• Not every posted order reflects a formal disciplinary action.
• A reported decision may have an appeal pending, and discipline may be stayed during that appeal — check appeal status at wcca.wicourts.gov or wscca.wicourts.gov.
• Records not open to public inspection by statute are not included on the site.
• Certified copies of an original order can be requested by mail from DSPS, P.O. Box 8935, Madison, WI 53708-8935 (a copying fee applies); requests must cite the LS case number, order date, and respondent's name.