Initial Licensure

To be granted a license to practice gen​eral dentistry in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, an applicant must:

• Understand, read, speak, and write the English language;
  
• Not be currently subject to disciplinary action that would prevent licensure;
  
• Submit to a nation-wide criminal background check;​
  
• Complete and pass the Board's jurisprudence exam;
• Hold a current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR);
  
• Verify any previously or currently held dental licenses in other states or jurisdictions;
• Graduate with a DMD or DDS from​ a Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) approved dental school;
  
• Successfully complete Parts I and II of the National Board Dental Examination; and
  
• Provide a written explanation for any reported actions in the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB).​

Background Check

State and federal criminal background check reports must be obtained through the IdentoGO Universal Enrollment Platform. Kentucky residents must use the live sca​n process at one of IdentoGO's nationwide enrollment centers. Non-Kentucky residents can either use this same process or submit a hard card (FBI FD-258 applicant fingerprint card) to IdentoGO for processing. When registering, please use the Board of Dentistry Service Code 27GJYG. Once registered, applicants can schedule fingerprinting appointments online or by phone.

IdentoGO Resources:

• Registration Page
  
• Location Finder
  
• KBD Service Code Form 
  
• KY Non-Resident Instructions
  
• IdentoGO customer service (844) 543-9714.
  

Jurisprudence Examination

State law requires the following jurisprudence examination to be completed by all new applicants for dental or dental hygiene licensure. This is an open book exam that covers the statutes and regulations governing dentistry in Kentucky.​​ The exam should be printed out, completed,​ and mailed to the Board. A score of 80% or above is considered passing.​

Licensure by Examination

In addition to the general requirements for licensure, applicants must complete the following to be eligible for licensure by examination:

• Graduate from a CODA accredited dental school
  
• Successfully complete Parts I and II of the National Board Dental Examination
• Pass one of the following regional clinical examinations: CITA, CRDTS, CDCA, SRTA, or WREB​

Please refer to the following instruction checklist when applying for licensure​ by examination.

Licensure by Credentials

In addition to the general requirements for licensure, applicants must complete the following to be eligible for licensure by credentials:

• Graduate from a CODA accredited dental school
  
• Successfully complete Parts I and II of the National Board Dental Examination
  
• Successfully pass a state, regional, or national clinical examination used to determine clinical competency in a U.S. jurisdiction
  
• Submit the following affidavit stating that you have legally been engaged in the practice of dentistry for five of the past six years in a state or territory of the United States​
  • Affidavit for Active Practice as a Dentist

Please refer to the following instruction checklist when applying for licensure​ by examination.

​Student Limited Licensure

Student limited licensure is available for individuals who have been accepted into a postgraduate, residency, or fellowship program in the Commonwealth of Kentucky but who do not meet the eligibility requirements for full licensure. Individuals may apply for student limited licensure if they hold a dental degree from a non-CODA accredited institution, if they have not successfully completed the National Board examinations, or if they have not successfully completed one of the regional clinical examinations required for licensure by exam.

Student limited licenses automatically expire upon your exit from a postgraduate, residency, or fellowship program in Kentucky. If your program continues past the effective date of your license, you must renew your license on time. Your program may fulfill your continuing education requirements, but does not exempt you from being subject to a continuing education audit. Student limited license holders may only practice in conjunction with programs of the dental school where they are a student.

Faculty Limited Licensure

Faculty limited licensure is available for individuals who have been appointed as faculty at a dental school in the Commonwealth of Kentucky but who do not meet the eligibility requirements for full licensure. Individuals may apply for faculty limited licensure if they hold a dental degree from a non-CODA accredited institution, if they have not successfully completed the National Board examinations, or if they have not successfully​ completed one of the five regional clinical examinations required for licensure by exam.

Faculty limited licenses automatically expire upon your exit from your faculty position. If your appointment continues past the effective date of your license, you must renew your license on time. You are subject to continuing education requirements for the renewal of your license. Faculty limited license holders may only practice in conjunction with programs of the dental school employing them.

Licensure of Foreign Trained Dentists

To be eligible to apply for full licensure as a foreign trained dentist (i.e., trained at a non-CODA accredited institution), you must meet the following requirements with no exceptions:

• Successfully completed two years of post-graduate training in a CODA accredited general dentistry program
• Successfully completed Part I and Part II of the National Board Dental Examination
• Successfully passed within the five years preceding the filing of your application one of the following regional clinical examinations: CITA, CRDTS, CDCA, SRTA, or WREB