The Dental Board Directory for Dental Professionals by State (Directory of US state dental boards)
SRTA
Dentist boards are the regulatory bodies that control the practice of dentistry. They are responsible for licensing and regulating dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and dental laboratory technicians.
The boards are also responsible for enforcing the laws and regulations governing these professions. For example, they must ensure that dentists in their state have a current license to practice in order to be allowed to continue practicing. Dental boards also regulate the prices of dental services and procedures. Governors of the State Boards of Dental Examiners are appointed by the state's governor. However, in many states, these appointments are subject to Senate confirmation.
How to Find a Dentist's License Board in the USA
The American Dental Association (ADA) is the largest professional organization of dentists in the United States. The ADA is a nonprofit organization that provides dental education and research to promote oral health. The ADA also promotes the use of dental professionals in the public by establishing guidelines for the practice of dentistry in their respective states.
The ADA maintains a list of all state dental boards on its website, with information about each board's address, phone number, and contact person. This list can be accessed by selecting "Dental Boards" from the "Choose a Topic" drop-down menu on ADA's homepage.
Necessary Documents for Licensure - What You Need to Become a Licensed Dentist & Practice in One of These Fifty States
The required documents for licensure vary from state to state, but there are some commonalities that you can expect. All states require a bachelor's degree in dental hygiene or dentistry from an accredited institution and a passing score on the National Board Dental Examination.
A List of All 50 States and Their Relative Boards
In the United States, there are 50 different states with their own boards that regulate dentistry and dental practice. These boards have different requirements for dentists and dental hygienists. For example, some states require dentists to post a sign in the waiting area saying "We use mercury-free fillings" while other states do not require it.
The information listed below is a list of all 50 US States and their respective boards. This list includes links to each state's website with more information on what they regulate as well as links to find out about the laws for cleaning teeth in that state.
Alabama
Board of Dental Examiners of Alabama
205-985-7267
https://www.dentalboard.org
Alaska
Board of Dental Examiners of Alaska
907-465-2550
https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardofDentalExaminers.aspx
Arizona
Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners
602-242-1492
https://dentalboard.az.gov
Arkansas
Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners
501-682-2085
https://www.asbde.org
California
Dental Board of California
877-729-7789
https://www.dbc.ca.gov
Colorado
Colorado Dental Board
303-894-7800
https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/dora/Dental_Board
Connecticut
Connecticut State Dental Commission
860-509-7603
https://portal.ct.gov/DPH/Public-Health-Hearing-Office/Connecticut-State-Dental-Commission/
Delaware
Board of Dentistry and Dental Hygiene
302-744-4500
https://dpr.delaware.gov/boards/dental/
District of Columbia
The DC Board of Dentistry
877-672-2174
https://dchealth.dc.gov/node/146102
Florida
Florida Board of Dentistry
850-488-0595
https://floridasdentistry.gov
Georgia
Georgia Board of Dentistry
404-651-8000
https://gbd.georgia.gov
Hawaii
Hawaii State Board of Dental Examiners
808-586-3000
http://cca.hawaii.gov/pvl/boards/dentist/
Idaho
Idaho State Board of Dentistry
208-334-2369
https://isbd.idaho.gov/IBODPortal/Home.aspx
Illinois
Illinois Board of Dentistry
217-785-0800
https://www.idfpr.com/profs/Boards/dentist.asp
Indiana
Indiana State Board of Dentistry
317-234-2054
https://www.in.gov/pla/dental.htm
Iowa
Iowa Dental Board
515-281-5157
https://dentalboard.iowa.gov
Kansas
Kansas Dental Board
785-296-6400
https://www.dental.ks.gov
Kentucky
Kentucky Board of Dentistry
502-429-7280
https://dentistry.ky.gov/
Louisiana
Louisiana State Board of Dentistry
225-219-7330
http://www.lsbd.org
Maine
Maine Board of Dental Practice
207-287-3333
https://www.maine.gov/dental
Maryland
Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners
410-402-8501
https://health.maryland.gov/dental/
Massachusetts
Massachusetts Board of Registration in Dentistry
800-414-0168
https://www.mass.gov/orgs/board-of-registration-in-dentistry
Michigan
Michigan Board of Dentistry
517-241-0199
https://www.michigan.gov/lara/0,4601,7-154-89334_72600_72603_27529_27533---,00.html
Minnesota
Minnesota Board of Dentistry
612-617-2250
https://mn.gov/boards/dentistry/current-licensee/requirements/
Mississippi
Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners
601-944-9622
https://www.dentalboard.ms.gov/
Missouri
Missouri Dental Board
573-751-0040
https://pr.mo.gov/dental.asp
Montana
Montana Board of Dentistry
406-444-6880
http://boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov/den
Nebraska
Nebraska Board of Dentistry
402-471-2118
http://dhhs.ne.gov/licensure/Pages/Dentistry.aspx
Nevada
Nevada State Board of Dental Examiners
800-337-3926
http://dental.nv.gov
New Hampshire
New Hampshire Board of Dental Examiners
603-271-2152
https://www.oplc.nh.gov/board-dental-examiners
New Jersey
New Jersey State Board of Dentistry
973-504-6405
https://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/den/
New Mexico
New Mexico Board of Dental Health Care
505-476-4622
https://www.rld.nm.gov/boards-and-commissions/individual-boards-and-commissions/dental-health-care-overview/
New York
New York State Board for Dentistry
518-474-3817, ext. 550
North Carolina
North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners
919-678-8223
http://www.ncdentalboard.org
North Dakota
North Dakota Board of Dental Examiners
701-258-8600
https://www.nddentalboard.org
Ohio
Ohio State Dental Board
614-466-2580
https://dental.ohio.gov
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State Board of Dentistry
405-522-4844
https://www.ok.gov/dentistry/
Oregon
Oregon Board of Dentistry
971-673-3200
https://www.oregon.gov/dentistry/Pages/index.aspx
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania State Board of Dentistry
717-783-7162
https://www.dos.pa.gov/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardsCommissions/Dentistry/
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico Board of Dental Examiners
787-765-2929
http://www.salud.gov.pr
Rhode Island
Rhode Island Board of Examiners in Dentistry
401-222-2828
http://www.health.ri.gov/licenses/detail.php
South Carolina
South Carolina Board of Dentistry
803-896-4599
https://llr.sc.gov/bod/pub.aspx
South Dakota
South Dakota State Board of Dentistry
605-224-1282
https://www.sdboardofdentistry.org/
Tennessee
Tennessee Board of Dentistry
615-532-5073
https://www.tn.gov/health/health-program-areas/oralhealth/professionals/tennessee-board-of-dentistry.html
Texas
Texas State Board of Dental Examiners
512-463-6400
http://tsbde.texas.gov
Utah
Utah Dentist and Dental Hygienist Licensing Board
801-530-6628
https://dopl.utah.gov/dental/index.html
Vermont
Vermont Board of Dental Examiners
802-828-2390
https://sos.vermont.gov/dental-examiners/
Virginia
Virginia Board of Dentistry
804-367-4538
https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Dentistry/
Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands Board of Dental Examiners
340-774-7477
https://doh.vi.gov/programs/office-professional-licensure-and-health-planning
Washington
Washington Dental Quality Assurance Commission
360-236-4700
https://www.doh.wa.gov/LicensesPermitsandCertificates/ProfessionsNewReneworUpdate/Dentist
West Virginia
West Virginia Board of Dentistry
877-914-8266
http://www.wvdentalboard.org
Wisconsin
Wisconsin Dentistry Examining Board
608-266-2112
https://dsps.wi.gov/pages/BoardsCouncils/Dentistry/
Wyoming
Wyoming Board of Dental Examiners
307-777-3507
https://dental.wyo.gov