Chapter 150-3 LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
| (1) |
Each candidate submitting an application
for a dental license must have passed all sections of the National Board Theory
Examinations - Part I and Part II with a score of 75 or higher. The President
of the Georgia Board of Dentistry may appoint one or more members of the Board
to proctor the National Dental Board Examinations held in Georgia. |
| (2) |
Each candidate for a license to practice
dentistry must pass with a score of 75 or higher a jurisprudence examination on
the laws and rules governing the practice of dentistry in the State of Georgia.
Such examination shall be in the English language. The score will be valid for
one year. |
| (3) |
Each candidate for a
license to practice dentistry must pass all sections with a score of 75 or
higher on any clinical examination administered by the Georgia Board of
Dentistry, or a testing agency designated and approved by the Board. Such
examination shall be in the English language. |
| (4) |
Any candidate who fails one or two
sections of any clinical examination or any combination of one, two, or three
sections of the clinical examination, three times must take a remedial course
of study designated and pre-approved by the board.
| (a) |
Once the candidate shows written proof of
successful completion of the approved course of study, the Board will grant the
candidate one additional attempt at successful passage of a clinical licensing
examination approved by the board. |
| (b) |
After a fourth failure of one or more
sections of any clinical examination, no further attempts will be authorized or
scores recognized by the board for licensure in Georgia. |
|
| (5) |
Any candidate who fails three or more
sections of any clinical examination three times must successfully complete a
one-year American Dental Association-accredited course of study pre-approved by
the board.
| (a) |
Once the candidate provides
written proof of successful completion of this one-year course of study, the
board will grant the candidate one additional attempt at successful passage of
a clinical licensing examination approved by the Georgia Board. |
| (b) |
After a fourth failure of one or more
sections of any clinical examination, no further attempts will be authorized or
scores recognized by the board for licensure in Georgia. |
|
| (6) |
For purposes of this rule, failure of the
completed curriculum integrated format type examination shall only be counted
as one (1) examination failure. The final section/sections failed with the
curriculum integrated format type examination will be applicable to sections
(4) and (5) of this rule. |
| (7) |
In
determining whether an applicant has met the requirements for licensure, the
board will only consider:
| (a) |
The examination
given by the Georgia Board of Dentistry prior to February 22, 1993. |
| (b) |
Results from the Southern Regional
Testing Agency (SRTA) that were attained between February 22, 1993 and December
31, 2005; to include SRTA retake examination results until December 31,
2006. |
| (c) |
Results from the American
Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX) examination as uniformly administered by the
Central Regional Dental Testing Service (CRDTS) and the Northeast Regional
Board of Dental Examiners (NERB) that were attained between January 1, 2006 and
June 30, 2009. |
| (d) |
Results from the
Central Regional Dental Testing Service (CRDTS) examination or any other
testing agency designated and approved by the Board attained subsequent to June
30, 2009. Results from the retake examinations administered by the Northeast
Regional Board of Dental Examiners (NERB) or the Central Regional Dental
Testing Service (CRDTS) are accepted through June 30, 2010. Such retakes must
be from initial examinations taken prior to June 30, 2009 and must include at
least one successful score from Parts II, III, IV or V. Examination scores from
slot preparations of restorative dentistry shall neither be accepted nor
recognized by the Board. |
|
| (8) |
Each candidate for Georgia licensure must
furnish a background check. The applicant shall be responsible for all fees
associated with the performance of a background check. |
| (9) |
The Board may hold other examinations as
may be required and necessary. |
An applicant for dental licensure is eligible to apply for a
license upon proof of successful completion of the requirements in
150-3-.01 and upon payment of a
licensure fee to the Department of Community Health in an amount established by
the Board.
| (1) |
An applicant
for dental licensure must provide the board with the following items: Those
applicants who have received a doctoral degree in dentistry from a dental
school accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American
Dental Association, or its successor agency, if any, must provide the following
in order to complete their application.
| (a) |
Certified copy of the applicant's testing results showing passage of all
sections with a score of 75 or higher on a clinical examination administered by
the board or a testing agency designated and approved by the board. |
| (b) |
Proof of current CPR
certification; |
| (c) |
Copies of any
and all National Practitioner's Data Bank reports pertaining to the
applicant; |
| (d) |
An official
transcript under seal issued by the appropriate authority (along with a
verified translation into English, if necessary), from the school or university
from which the applicant received his or her doctoral degree in
dentistry; |
| (e) |
National Board
Scores verifying passage of all parts with a minimal acceptable grade of
75. |
| (f) |
Verification of licensure
from all states where the applicant has ever held or currently holds a license
to practice dentistry. Such license shall be unencumbered by past, present or
pending disciplinary action. |
| (g) |
Furnish a criminal background check. The applicant shall be responsible for all
fees associated with the performance of a background check. |
|
| (2) |
In addition to the
requirements in Section (1), those applicants who have received a doctoral
degree in dentistry from a dental school not accredited by the Commission on
Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association, or its successor
agency, if any, must provide the following in order to complete their
application.
| (a) |
Proof of successful
completion at an ADA-accredited dental school approved by the board of the last
two years of a pre-doctoral program as a full-time student under the conditions
required of other full-time students, except as excused or limited in the
manner that any other student's participation would be excused or limited by
state and federal law, and receipt of the doctor of dental surgery (D.D.S.) or
doctor of dental medicine (D.M.D.) degree; and |
| (b) |
A certification from the dean of the
accredited dental school where the applicant took the required supplementary
program specified in O.C.G.A. Sec.
43-11-40(a)(1)(A),
43-11-40(a)(1)(A) and (B) setting forth that the applicant has
achieved the same level of didactic and clinical competency as expected of a
graduate of the dental school and that the student has completed the last two
years of a pre-doctoral program under the conditions required of other
full-time students, except as excused or limited in the manner that any other
student's participation would be excused or limited by state and federal
law. |
| (c) |
An official transcript
under seal from the accredited dental school showing all courses taken during
the supplementary program required pursuant to O.C.G.A. Sec.
43-11-40(a)(1)(A). |
|
| (3) |
All applicants must show
passage of all sections with a score of 75 or higher on a clinical examination
administered by the board or testing agency designated and approved by the
board and a jurisprudence examination on the laws and rules governing the
practice of dentistry in the State of Georgia. Such examinations shall be
administered in the English language. |
| (4) |
In accordance with O.C.G.A. § 50-36-1, all applicants applying
for licensure must submit an Affidavit Regarding Citizenship and submit a copy
of secure and verifiable documentation supporting the Affidavit with his or her
application. |
| (1) |
Licenses
shall expire at the close of December 31 in all odd-numbered years, and shall
be administratively revoked for failure to renew on July 1 of the following
even-numbered year. Fees for license renewal shall be assessed as set forth in
Rule 150-12-.01.
Licenses, which have been administratively revoked, shall be reinstated only in
the discretion of the Board upon completion of a reinstatement
application. |
| (2) |
Any service member
as defined in O.C.G.A. § 15-12-1 whose license to practice
dentistry or dental hygiene expired while serving on active duty outside the
state shall be permitted to practice dentistry or dental hygiene in accordance
with the expired license and shall not be charged with a violation relating to
such practice on an expired license for a period of six (6) months from the
date of his or her discharge from active duty or reassignment to a location
within the state. Any such service member shall be entitled to renew such
expired license without penalty within six (6) months after the date of his or
her discharge from active duty or reassignment to a location with the state.
The service member must present to the board a copy of the official military
orders or a written verification signed by the service members commanding
officer to waive any charges. |
| (3) |
For all instances in which the license in question was revoked for reasons
other than the failure to renew, a minimum of two (2) years shall pass from the
date of the revocation of license before the Board will consider an application
for its reinstatement. |
| (4) |
In the
event that an application for reinstatement of a license is denied, the Board
will consider a subsequent reinstatement application no sooner than one (1)
year from the date that the previous application was denied. |
| (5) |
As a condition precedent to the
reinstatement of a revoked license, the Board may, in its discretion, impose
any remedial requirements deemed necessary before an individual may resume the
practice of dentistry or dental hygiene. After five (5) years have passed
without the applicant being actively engaged in the practice of dentistry or
dental hygiene, the Board may, in its discretion, require passage of an
examination administered by the Georgia Board of Dentistry or a Regional
Testing Agency designated and approved by the Board. In addition, the Board may
require documentation from a physician or physicians licensed in the State of
Georgia that establishes to the satisfaction of the Board that the applicant is
able to practice with reasonable skill and safety to patients. |
Duplicate licenses will be issued in accordance with the fee
schedule set forth in Rule
150-12-.01.
| (1) |
A
licensee may apply for inactive licensure status under the following
conditions:
| (a) |
A dentist or dental hygienist
who holds an active license in the state of Georgia may apply to the Board for
inactive status by submitting the required for m and paying the proper
fee |
| (b) |
A licensee granted inactive
status is exempt from the payment of the biennia l renewal fee and continuing
education requirement. |
| (c) |
A person
holding an inactive license may not practice dentistry or dental hygiene in
this state. |
| (d) |
A dentist or dental
hygienist holding an inactive license may apply for reinstatement by following
the Board's reinstatement policy. |
|
| (2) |
For the purposes of O.C.G.A. § 43-11-47(a)(7)(A),
a licensee on inactive status is not licensed to practice dentistry in
Georgia. |
Dentists shall maintain at all times during licensure and shall
furnish to the Board, upon request, current certification in one and two
rescuer CPR and management of obstructed airway for adults, children and
infants as taught by the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross,
American Safety & Health Institute, the National Safety Council, EMS Safety
Services, or other such agencies approved by the Board. Current certification
is also a condition for license renewal. Failure to maintain current CPR
certification may serve as grounds to deny the renewal of a license and may
also result in disciplinary action against the licensee. In response to an
audit request, a dentist shall be required to produce proof of CPR
certification during the biennium for which the audit is being
conducted.
| (1) |
Dentists
licensed to practice in the state of Georgia shall maintain and furnish to the
Board, upon request, official documentation of having completed a minimum of
forty (40) hours of continuing education during each biennium. Official
documentation shall be defined as documentation from an approved provider that
verifies a licensee's attendance at a particular continuing education course.
Official documentation of course attendance must be maintained by a dentist for
at least three (3) years following the end of the biennium during which the
course as taken.
| (a) |
Compliance with all
continuing education requirements is a condition for license renewal. Failure
to complete all hours of mandatory continuing education shall serve as grounds
to deny the renewal of a license and may also result in disciplinary action
being taken against a licensee. |
| (b) |
Upon its own motion, the Board may at any time randomly select a percentage of
actively licenses dentists for the purpose of auditing their compliance with
the continuing education requirements of the Board. Those licensees selected
for an audit shall submit official documentation of their compliance within
thirty (30) days of receipt of the audit letter. Failure to respond to an audit
request in a timely manner shall be grounds for disciplinary action against a
licensee. |
| (c) |
The continuing
education requirements shall not apply to dentists whose licenses are on
inactive status. |
| (d) |
The continuing
education requirements shall apply within the first biennium that a dentist is
licensed in Georgia. However, in order to meet the continuing education
requirements during the first biennium, a newly licensed dentist may submit as
their continuing education hours proof of dental coursework taken within the
previous two (2) years of the date of the renewal application from a university
or other institution accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of
the American Dental Association, or its successor agency. Following the first
biennium that a dentist is licensed in Georgia such licensees shall comply with
the continuing education requirements set forth in Rule
150-3-.09(2) and (3). |
| (e) |
The continuing education requirements for
dentists holding volunteer licenses may be satisfied by compliance with this
rule, or they may alternatively be satisfied by compliance with Rule
150-3-.10. |
|
| (2) |
Coursework, including home study courses,
sponsored or approved by the following recognized organizations will be
accepted:
| (a) |
American Dental
Association/American Dental Hygienists association, and their affiliate
associations and societies; |
| (b) |
Academy of General Dentistry; |
| (c) |
National Dental Association and its affiliate societies; |
| (d) |
Colleges, and universities and
institutions with programs in dentistry and dental hygiene that are accredited
by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association
when the professional continuing education course is held under the auspices of
the school of dentistry or school of dental hygiene; |
| (e) |
CPR courses offered by the American Red
Cross, the American Heart Association, the American Safety and Health
Institute, the National Safety Council, EMS Safety Services, or other such
agencies approved by the Board. |
| (f) |
National and State Associations and/or societies of all specialties in
dentistry recognized under Georgia law; |
| (g) |
Veterans Administration Dental
Department; |
| (h) |
Armed Forces Dental
Department; |
| (i) |
Georgia Department
of Public Health; |
| (j) |
American
Medical Association, the National Medical Association and its affiliate
associations and societies; |
| (k) |
Hospitals accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospital
Organizations (JCAHO). |
|
| (3) |
Course content:
| (a) |
All courses must reflect the professional
needs of the dentist in providing quality dental health care to the
public; |
| (b) |
At least thirty (30)
hours of the minimum requirement shall be clinical courses in the actual
delivery of dental services to the patient or to the community; |
| (c) |
Four (4) credit hours for successful
completion of the CPR course required by Georgia law may be used to satisfy
continuing education requirements per renewal period; |
| (d) |
Effective for the 2019 renewal year, one
(1) hour of the minimum requirement shall include the impact of opioid abuse
and/or the proper prescription writing and use of opioids in dental
practice; |
| (e) |
Up to fifteen (15)
hours of continuing education per year may be obtained by assisting the Board
with administering the clinical licensing examination. These hours shall be
approved by the Continuing Education Committee of the Georgia Board of
Dentistry and need not be sponsored by any agency listed in
150-3-.09(2); |
| (f) |
Eight (8) hours per biennium may be
obtained by assisting the board with investigations of licensees. This may
include consultant review on behalf of the Georgia Board of Dentistry and peer
reviews completed by committees of the Georgia Dental Association but shall be
limited to two (2) hours for each case reviewed. These hours shall be approved
by the Continuing Education Committee of the Georgia Board of Dentistry and
need not be sponsored by any agency listed in
150-3-.09(2); |
| (g) |
Up to ten (10) hours of continuing
education per year may be obtained by teaching clinical dentistry or dental
hygiene at any ADA-approved educational facility. These hours shall be awarded
in writing by the course director at the facility and approved by the
Continuing Education Committee of the Georgia Board of Dentistry; |
| (h) |
Up to ten (10) hours of continuing
education per biennium may be obtained by providing, uncompensated dental care
at a public agency or institution, not for profit agency, not for profit
institution, nonprofit corporation or not for profit association which provides
dentistry services to indigent patients; |
| (i) |
Up to twenty (20) hours of continuing
education per biennium may be obtained by members of the Georgia Board of
Dentistry for member service, where one continuing education hour is credited
for each five hours of Board service provided. |
|
| (4) |
Criteria for receiving credit for
attending an approved continuing education course:
| (a) |
Credit hours are not retroactive or
cumulative. All credit hours must be received during the two (2) year period to
which they are applied; |
| (b) |
One
credit hour for each hour of course attendance will be allowed; |
| (c) |
Only twelve hours of credit will be
accepted per calendar day; |
| (d) |
Effective January 1, 2008, at least twenty (20) of the required forty (40)
hours of credit must be acquired in person at an on-site course or seminar; you
are not allowed to acquire all CE hours through on-line courses, electronic
means, journal studies, etc. |
|
| (5) |
Criteria for receiving credit for
teaching an approved continuing education course:
| (a) |
Credit hours for teaching an approved
course must be obtained and used during the biennium that the approved course
is taught; |
| (b) |
A dentist who
teaches an approved continuing education course is eligible to receive two (2)
credit hours for each hour of course work that he or she presents at a
particular course. Credit will be given for teaching a particular course on one
occasion. A maximum of ten (10) credit hours per biennium may be obtained by a
dentist by whom an approved continuing education course is taught; |
| (c) |
Only continuing education courses
sponsored by organizations designated in Rule 150-3.09(2) will be considered
for credit pursuant to this subsection of the rule. |
| (d) |
In the event that an audit is conducted
of the continuing education hours of a dentist who has taught a course approved
by a recognized organization, the following information shall be required to
document the dentist's role in presenting a continuing education course:
| (i) |
Documentation from an approved provider
verifying that the dentist presented an approved continuing education
course; |
| (ii) |
Documentation from an
approved provider reflecting the content of the course; |
| (iii) |
Documentation from an approved provider
specifying the list of materials used as a part of the course; and |
| (iv) |
Documentation from an approved provider
verifying the hours earned and the dates and times that the course in question
was given. |
|
| (e) |
In the
event that an approved continuing education course is taught by more than one
dentist, continuing education credit will be given for those portions of
coursework for which the dentist is directly involved and primarily responsible
for the preparation and presentation thereof. Continuing education credit will
not be available to a dentist whose participation in preparing and presenting
an approved course is not readily identifiable. |
|
| (6) |
Criteria for receiving credit for
providing uncompensated indigent dental care.
| (a) |
Up to ten (10) hours of continuing
education per biennium may be obtained by providing, uncompensated dental care
at a public agency or institution, not for profit agency, not for profit
institution, nonprofit corporation or not for profit association which provides
dentistry services to indigent patients. |
| (b) |
Dentists may receive one hour of
continuing education for every four hours of indigent dental care the dentist
provides, up to ten (10) hours. Such continuing education credits will be
applied toward the dentist's clinical courses. |
| (c) |
All credit hours must be received during
the two (2) year renewal period; |
| (d) |
All appropriate medical/dental records
must be kept; |
| (e) |
Dentists shall at
all times be required to meet the minimal standards of acceptable and
prevailing dental practice in Georgia; |
| (f) |
The Board shall have the right to request
the following:
| 1. |
Documentation from the
organization indicating that the dentist provided the dental
services; |
| 2. |
Documentation from the
organization that it provided medical and/or dental services to the indigent
and/or those making up the underserved populations; |
| 3. |
Notarized verifications from the
organization documenting the dentist's agreement not to receive compensation
for the services provided; |
| 4. |
Documentation from the organization detailing the actual number of hours spent
providing said services; and |
| 5. |
Documentation from the dentist and/or organization verifying the services
provided. |
|
|
| (7) |
Effective January 1, 2012, dentists may receive continuing education credit for
dental coursework taken during a residency program from a university or other
institution accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the
American Dental Association. Such coursework must have been taken during the
current license renewal period.
| (1) |
Submission
of a copy of the certificate of completion of program showing dates of
completion is sufficient proof of coursework. |
| (2) |
One (1) credit hour equals one (1)
continuing education credit. |
|
| (1) |
A dentist licensed to practice in the
State of Georgia as a volunteer shall maintain and furnish to the Board, upon
request, official documentation of having completed a minimum of forty (40)
hours of continuing education during each biennium. Official documentation
shall be defined as documentation from an approved provider that verifies a
licensee's attendance at a particular continuing education course. Official
documentation of course attendance must be maintained by a dentist for at least
three (3) years following the end of the biennium during which the course as
taken.
| (a) |
A dentist holding a volunteer
license in the State of Georgia may complete his or her continuing education
requirements in the manner described in Rule
150-3-.09; or alternatively, a dentist
holding a volunteer license may complete his or her continuing education
requirements in the manner described in this Rule. Should a dentist holding a
volunteer license choose to meet his or her continuing education requirements
in the manner described in this Rule, all forty (40) hours of continuing
education must be clinical. |
| (b) |
A
dentist holding a volunteer license in the State of Georgia may complete up to
thirty (30) hours of continuing education per biennium by providing
uncompensated dental care at a public agency or institution, not-for-profit
agency, not-for-profit institution, non-profit corporation or not-for-profit
association which provides dentistry services to indigent patients. Such
continuing education credits will be applied toward the dentist's clinical
continuing education requirements and shall be credited at the rate of one (1)
hour of continuing education for every hour of indigent dental care the dentist
provides, but shall be subject to the following criteria:
| 1. |
All credit hours must be received during
the two (2) year renewal period; |
| 2. |
All appropriate medical/dental records must be kept; |
| 3. |
Dentists shall at all times be required to
meet the minimal standards of acceptable and prevailing dental practice in
Georgia; |
| 4. |
The Board shall have
the right to request the following:
| (i) |
Documentation from the organization indicating that the dentist provided the
dental services; |
| (ii) |
Documentation
from the organization that it provided medical and/or dental services to the
indigent and/or those making up the underserved populations; |
| (iii) |
Notarized verifications from the
organization documenting the dentist's agreement not to receive compensation
for the services provided; |
| (iv) |
Documentation from the organization detailing the actual number of hours spent
providing said services; and |
| (v) |
Documentation from the dentist and/or organization verifying the services
provided. |
|
|
| (c) |
Should a dentist licensed in the State of Georgia as a volunteer choose to
satisfy a portion of the requirement of forty (40) hours of continuing
education by providing uncompensated dental care as provided for in (1)(b), the
dentist must complete the remaining continuing education, which must be
clinical, from a provider satisfying the requirements described in Rule
150-3-.09. |
| (d) |
Four credit (4) hours for successful
completion of the CPR course required by Georgia law and may be used to satisfy
continuing education requirements per renewal period. |
|
| (2) |
A dental hygienist licensed to practice
as a volunteer in the State of Georgia shall maintain and furnish to the Board
upon request, official documentation of having completed a minimum of
twenty-two (22) hours of continuing education during each biennium. Official
documentation shall be defined as documentation from an approved provider that
verifies a licensee's attendance at a particular continuing education course.
Official documentation of course attendance must be maintained by a dental
hygienist for at least three (3) years following the end of the biennium during
which the course as taken.
| (a) |
A dental
hygienist holding a volunteer license in the State of Georgia may complete his
or her continuing education requirements in the manner described in Rule
150-5-.05; or alternatively, a dental
hygienist holding a volunteer license may complete his or her continuing
education requirements in the manner described in this Rule. Should a dental
hygienist holding a volunteer license choose to meet his or her continuing
education requirements in the manner described in this Rule, all twenty-two
(22) hours of continuing education must be scientific, in the actual delivery
of dental services to the patient or to the community. |
| (b) |
A dental hygienist holding a volunteer
license in the State of Georgia may complete up to fifteen (15) hours of
continuing education per biennium by providing uncompensated dental care at a
public agency or institution, not-for-profit agency, not-for-profit
institution, non-profit corporation, or not-for-profit association which
provides dentistry services to indigent patients. Such continuing education
credits will be applied toward the dental hygienist's scientific continuing
education requirements, and shall be credited at the rate of one (1) hour of
continuing education for every hour of indigent dental care the dental
hygienist provides, but shall be subject to the following criteria:
| 1. |
All credit hours must be received during
the two (2) year renewal period; |
| 2. |
Dental hygienists shall at all times be required to meet the minimal standards
of acceptable and prevailing dental practice in Georgia; |
| 3. |
The Board shall have the right to request
the following:
| (i) |
Documentation from the
organization indicating that the dental hygienist provided the dental
services; |
| (ii) |
Documentation from
the organization that it provided medical and/or dental hygiene services to the
indigent and/or those making up the underserved populations; |
| (iii) |
Notarized verifications from the
organization documenting the dental hygienist's agreement not to receive
compensation for the services provided; |
| (iv) |
Documentation from the organization
detailing the actual number of hours spent providing said services;
and |
| (v) |
Documentation from the
dental hygienist and/or organization verifying the services provided. |
|
|
| (c) |
Should a dental
hygienist licensed in the State of Georgia as a volunteer choose to satisfy a
portion of the requirement of twenty-two (22) hours of continuing education by
providing uncompensated dental care as provided for in (2)(b), the dental
hygienist must complete the remaining continuing education, which must be
scientific, from a provider satisfying the requirements described in Rule
150-5-.05. |
| (d) |
Four credit (4) hours for successful
completion of the CPR course required by Georgia law and may be used to satisfy
continuing education requirements per renewal period. |
|
