Licensure by Examination

A dentist who has been licensed and practicing for less than five (5) years, and desires to practice dentistry in the State of Arkansas, may apply to the Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners for a license to practice pursuant to the following requirements:

• Completion of a Board application with a photograph taken within the last six months signed on the last page. A fee of $8.
• Be a graduate of a school for the education and training of dentists approved by the Board and accredited by the American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation.
  TRANSCRIPT: You must request and authorize the school to provide the Board with an official transcript with the school’s seal and awarding of a degree from the school of dentistry which issued the DDS/DMD degree.  The transcript must be sent directly from the school to the Board office.   
• Successful completion of the National Board Examination for Dentistry, administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE).  
• Satisfactory completion of a clinical dental examination administered by one of the following: Southern Regional Testing Agency (SRTA), Western Regional Examining Board (WREB), the Commission on Dental Competency Assessments (CDCA), the Council of Interstate Testing Agencies (CITA) or the Central Regional Dental Testing Service (CRDTS). For licensure by examination, clinical examination scores are good for five (5) years from the date of successful passage. Note: A clinical patient-based component of the examination must be administered by the testing agency and successfully completed by the candidate in order to be accepted. Effective January 1, 2020, the Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners will only accept clinical dental examinations that consist of at least the following components: Restorative clinical examination section (anterior and posterior on a live patient), manikin prosthetic section, manikin endodontic section with posterior and interior access, treatment planning, and periodontal section.
• Passage of the Arkansas Jurisprudence Examination: The jurisprudence examination is an open-book exam that covers the Dental Practice Act/Dental Corporation Act/Rules and Regulations of the Board. The exam will be emailed to you upon receipt of your dental license application and fee. 
• A copy of a certificate showing current Healthcare Provider level cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification must accompany the application. The Board does not accept online CPR.
• Effective July 1, 2011, every person applying for a license must authorize the Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners to conduct a complete criminal background check.  Information on the background check will be mailed to the applicant when the Board office receives the dental license application. 
• Official verification from every state where licensed (whether the license is current or not) must be sent directly from the state board(s) to the Board office.

*The Board office will not discuss your application with anyone other than you. Feel free to contact the Board office with questions about your application at 501-682-2085 or via email at asbde@arkansas.gov.

“When will I receive my license?” That is a question that is commonly asked of the Board office, and we are unable to answer that question.

Please be assured that once your application is complete, you will be issued a license via email with a wall certificate to follow in the mail. If your address has changed between the time that you submitted your application and the time that you receive your email issuing you a license, please notify the Board office of your address change. The cost to remake your wall certificate is $25.

Licensure by Credentials

A dentist who has been licensed and practicing continuously for the past five (5) years or more, and desires to practice dentistry in the State of Arkansas, may apply to the Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners for a license to practice pursuant to the following requirements:

• Completion of a Board application with a photograph taken within the last six months. A fee of $$50.
• Be a graduate of a school for the education and training of dentists approved by the Board and accredited by the American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation. TRANSCRIPT: You must request and authorize the school to provide the Board with an official transcript with the school’s seal from the school of dentistry which issued the DDS/DMD degree.  The transcript must be sent directly from the school to the Board office. 
• Successful completion of the National Board Examination for Dentistry, administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE). Contact the National Board office at 1-800-232-1694 to allow the Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners to view your exam scores online.
• Proof of successfully passing a clinical examination for licensure.  It is possible that the Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners can view your clinical exam scores online. In the event that we cannot, you will be notified.
• Passage of the Arkansas Jurisprudence Examination: The jurisprudence examination is an open-book exam that covers the Dental Practice Act/Dental Corporation Act/Rules and Regulations of the Board. The exam will be emailed to you upon receipt of your dental license application and fee. 
• A copy of a certificate showing current Healthcare Provider level cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification must accompany the application. The Board does not accept online CPR.
• Effective July 1, 2011, every person applying for a license must authorize the Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners to conduct a complete criminal background check. Information on the background check will be mailed to the applicant when the Board office receives the dental license application. 
• Official verification from every state where licensed (whether the license is current or not) must be sent directly from the state board(s) to the Board office. 
• Letters of recommendation: Letters from two licensed dentists – practicing in the same locale of the state where the applicant is or has been practicing, and attesting to the applicant’s moral character, standing, and ability – must be sent directly from the dentists to the Board office. 
• Applicant must have letters from his/her state and local Dental Association Peer Review Committee (if there is one) submitted setting forth information of record concerning the applicant.

*Please note the following:

To be eligible for licensure by credentials, you must be currently licensed in the state from which you are applying, and must have practiced continuously for a period of five (5) years immediately prior to applying. To be considered as practicing “continuously,” you must have actively practiced dentistry for a minimum of 1000 hours per year for the two calendar years immediately prior to the date of application. The qualifying hours of clinical practice must have been performed in the most current jurisdiction from where the application is being made. You may have participated in a post-graduate dental/medical education program during the five years in order to satisfy the five-year practice requirement.

Secondly, the Board office will not discuss your application with anyone other than you. Feel free to contact the Board office with questions about your application at 501-682-2085 or via email at asbde@arkansas.gov.

Specialty Licensure Requirements

• Every applicant for an Arkansas Specialty license must first be licensed as a general dentist.
• Complete all portions of the Arkansas Specialty application and return it to this office along with a copy of your specialty certificate/diploma. NOTE: If you would like to apply before graduation, please ask your department head to forward a letter to our Board office verifying your enrollment in the graduate program and your expected graduation date. A copy of your diploma should then be sent after graduation.
• Include the $300 application fee ( check or money order) with your application. Arrangements for specialty testing will begin after your application has been accepted by our office. You will be notified regarding the status of your application and testing arrangements as they become known to the Board office.

Links:

• Dental Assistants Registration Information
• Hygienists Licensure Information
• Application Fees
• FAQs
• License Verification (dental license, hygiene license, and dental assisting permit)