Licensure Process

To practice as a dental hygienist in Tennessee a person must possess a lawfully issued license from the Board. The process for obtaining a license is as follows: (1) An applicant shall obtain a Board application form from the Board Administrative Office, respond truthfully and completely to every question or request for information contained in the form and submit it along with all documentation and fees required by the form and this rule to the Board Administrative Office. It is the intent of this rule that all activities necessary to accomplish the filing of the required documentation be completed prior to filing a licensure application and that all documentation be filed simultaneously at least sixty (60) days prior to the next scheduled Board meeting. (2) An applicant shall cause to be submitted directly, from a dental hygiene school, college or university approved or provisionally approved by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association, to the Board Administrative Office, a certificate of graduation containing the institution’s Official Seal and which shows the following: (a) The applicant’s transcript; and (b) The degree and diploma conferred, or a letter from the dean of the educational institution attesting to the applicant’s eligibility for the degree and diploma if the last term of dental hygiene school has not been completed at the time of application. However, no license shall be issued until official notification is received in the Board Administrative Office that the degree and diploma have been conferred. (3) An applicant shall submit: (a) Proof of having attained at least eighteen (18) years of age; and (b) A signed “passport” style photograph taken within the preceding twelve (12) months. (4) An applicant shall submit evidence of good moral character. Such evidence shall include at least two (2) letters attesting to the applicant’s character from dental professionals on the signator’s letterhead. (5) An applicant shall submit proof of United States or Canadian citizenship or evidence of being legally entitled to live in the United States. Such evidence may include copies of birth certificates, naturalization papers, or current visa status. RULES GOVERNING THE PRACTICE OF DENTAL HYGIENISTS CHAPTER 0460-03 (6) An applicant shall submit the licensure application fee and state regulatory fee as provided in Rule 0460-01-.02(2). (7) An applicant shall cause to be submitted a certificate of successful completion of the examinations for licensure as governed by Rule 0460-03-.05. (8) An applicant shall disclose the circumstances surrounding any of the following: (a) Conviction of any criminal law violation of any country, state, or municipality, except minor traffic violations. (b) The denial of licensure application by any other state or the discipline of licensure in any state. (c) Any other civil suit judgment or civil suit settlement in which the applicant was a party defendant including, without limitation, actions involving malpractice, breach of contract, antitrust activity or any other civil action remedy recognized under any country’s or state’s statutory, common, or case law. (d) Failure of any dental or dental hygiene licensure examination. (9) An applicant shall cause to be submitted to the Board’s administrative office directly from the vendor identified in the Board’s licensure application materials, the result of a criminal background check. (10) Failure to make application for licensure within ninety (90) days after a person has successfully completed all requirements for licensure may result in denial of any subsequently filed application unless good cause is shown for failure to do so. (11) An applicant shall submit evidence of current training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) which is defined as successful completion of a BLS for Healthcare Providers, or CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers, or an equivalent course, which provides training for healthcare professionals in CPR and the use of an AED by a Board-approved training organization. The course must be conducted in person and include a skills examination on a manikin with a certified instructor. (12) If an applicant has ever held a license to practice in any other state or Canada, the applicant shall submit or cause to be submitted the equivalent of a Tennessee Certificate of Endorsement from each such licensing board which indicates the applicant either holds a current active license and whether it is in good standing, or held a license which is currently inactive and whether it was in good standing at the time it became inactive. (13) An applicant shall successfully complete the Tennessee Board of Dentistry Ethics and Jurisprudence examination. (14) Application reviews and licensure decisions required by this rule shall be governed by Rule 0460-01-.04.