welcome

The purpose of the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners is to ensure that the dental profession merit and receive the confidence of the public and that only qualified persons be permitted to practice dentistry and dental hygiene in the state of North Carolina. Click here for directions to our office.

NC Dental Board adopts Position Statement on selection of a Dental and Dental Hygiene Compact

To read the statement, click here.

Notice of Rulemaking Hearing

The North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners will hold a Public Hearing to consider changes to its rules 21 NCAC 16A, 16B, 16C and 16N.

The hearing will be held on Thursday, April 18, 2024 at 6:00 pm. at the Board's offices: 2000 Perimeter Park Drive, Suite 160, Morrisville, NC 27560.

To read the proposed rule(s) for publication in the North Carolina Register, click here.

Notice of Rulemaking Hearing

The North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners will hold a Public Hearing to consider changes to its rule 21 NCAC 16H .0104.

The hearing will be held on Thursday, April 18, 2024 and 6:00 pm. at the Board's offices: 2000 Perimeter Park Drive, Suite 160, Morrisville, NC 27560.

To read the proposed rule(s) for publication in the North Carolina Register, click here.

Renew Online

The 2024 Renewal Period is now open! The online renewal system is open from November 1 to March 31 each year.

Dentists and hygienists may update their addresses anytime through our online system:

Enter your 4 or 5 digit dental/dental hygiene license number (do not enter a leading zero for 4 digit numbers)
Your PIN number will be the last 4 digits of your social security number

| Dentists renew here | | Hygienists renew here |

To renew instructors licenses, anesthesia and sedation permits during the renewal period, go to the License Renewal page and choose the correct system.

As of 2015, we no longer mail renewal certificates for dental and dental hygiene. You may now print your own for no charge immediately after renewing. Log into the system, choose "Print Certificate" from the menu and follow the prompts.

If you hold a DEA license and prescribing privileges in North Carolina, there are extra requirements for renewal. You must have taken a course including at least one hour on the prescribing of opioids, and you must be registered with the NC Controlled Substance Reporting System. Info on both of these requirements may be found on our What's New page.

If your license has already lapsed, Reinstatement applications may also be found on the License Renewal page.

Notice of Timeline for Issuance of Dental and Dental Hygiene Licenses for New Graduates

Licenses will be issued weekly on Fridays for applicants who show complete in the portal. The website verification page may be checked on Monday mornings and newly issued licenses will be mailed that day. If your license does not appear, then your application is not complete and will be issued in the batch following completion. Licenses are only available for pickup during certain hours so arrangements must be made in advance; licenses will not be available for pickup prior to that Monday.

Please note that you must have the license in hand before practicing!! Simply seeing that your license has been issued does not allow you to practice.

2023 Election Results

Congratulations to Drs. William Litaker of Hickory and Mark Johnson of New Bern who both retained their seats for another term in the 2023 Dental Board Elections. Lori Hendrick won the vacating Dental Hygiene seat. Their three-year terms will commence August 1, 2023.

Notice of Rulemaking

The North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners has adopted 21 NCAC 16Q .0103, .0104, .0202, .0302, .0405, and 0703. The Rules Review Commission approved the rules for entry in the NC Administrative Code. However, the Commission received more than 10 written objections to the rules.

Therefore, the newly-adopted Rules 21 NCAC 16Q .0103, .0104, .0202, .0302, .0405, 0703 have not gone into effect. The rules are currently pending indefinitely, subject to legislative review and action. The current versions of Rules 21 NCAC 16Q .0202, .0302, .0405, and .0703 will remain in effect.

To read the notice of text published in the North Carolina Register, click here. To read the text of the adopted rule(s), click here.

To read the Board's statement on the proposed changes to these rules, click here.

Important New Rules Go Into Effect

Two new sets of rules were recently approved by the Rules Review Commission of the NC General Assembly that will widely impact both applicants and current licensees.

  • Applicants for a dental or dental hygiene license may now take their clinical examination either on a live patient or a manikin.
    Dental: 21 NCAC 16B .0303(d)(1), and
    Hygiene: 21 NCAC 16C .0303(d)(1)

  • Current dental and dental hygiene licensees must now complete a one-hour continuing education course every two years on the subject of substance abuse and mental health.
    Dental: 21 NCAC 16R .0206, and
    Hygiene: 21 NCAC 16I .0206
    This one-hour course is to be counted among the number of CE hours currently required and DOES NOT add hours to the current requirement. The course may be taken anytime in 2023 or 2024 to meet the requirements of license renewal for 2025 and will follow this once every two-year pattern thereafter.

Verifying compliance with NC CSRS checks: a work in progress

Text copied from NC Medical Board website, as some dentists also affected:

Administrators of the state-run North Carolina Controlled Substances Reporting System (NC CSRS) recently sent letters to some licensees who may not be checking patient prescription histories as required before prescribing certain medicines.

State law requires that prescribers review a patient’s 12-month prescription history in the NCCSRS before prescribing a Schedule II or Schedule III opioid. The requirement went into effect July 7. The full text of the law that mandates NC CSRS use can be read here. The NC DHHS letters inform prescribers that information about their possible noncompliance has been shared with the appropriate licensing board, which has prompted multiple licensees who believe they have been inappropriately flagged as noncompliant to reach out to NCMB. NCDHHS has provided a report to NCMB and the information is under review. No determinations have been made about how to use the reported information. NCMB is committed to working with NCDHHS to improve this process and will update licensees when it determines what action, if any, to take in response to data provided.

Licensees who believe they have been inappropriately flagged as noncompliant should email NCCSRS at csrs.utilization@dhhs.nc.gov. Please note that the email address included in the NCDHHS letters mailed to prescribers includes a typo that causes messages to bounce back as undeliverable. Learn more about mandatory use of NC CSRS, including exemptions to the requirement, at www.ncmedboard.org/nccsrs.

Process for Dental Hygienists to be Certified to Administer Local Anesthetics

With the recent passage of SB 146 which allows certification of dental hygienists to administer local anesthetics in North Carolina, the Board has developed temporary rules and a process to receive certification. Click here for the process and instructions on how to submit your documents.

Approval Granted for Dentists to Administer COVID-19 Vaccinations

The provisions outlined below were extended by Executive Order #211 and are now in effect through August 8, 2021 unless subsequently modified by the Governor.

https://files.nc.gov/governor/documents/files/EO211-DHHS-Provisions-Extension.pdf

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Governor Cooper’s Executive Order #193 https://files.nc.gov/governor/documents/files/EO193-DHHS-Extension.pdf in conjunction with recently enacted Administrative Orders from the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the State Health Director, and the NC State Board of Dental Examiners now allow dentists to administer COVID-19 vaccinations in North Carolina. Full provisions of all orders regarding individual training and education, handling and administration of the vaccine, and patient education and follow-up are continually and contemporaneously in effect.

Executive Summary of Important Information on Vaccine Requirements

DHHS Secretarial Order No. 8

March 3, 2021 Dental Board Order regarding Dentists Administering Vaccinations

NC State Health Director's Standing Order for FDA authorized COVID-19 Vaccine Administration

Emails Not Received

Please note that the Board experienced a technical problem with Email from around 5:00pm on Thursday, February 11 until around 12:45pm Friday, February 12. If you sent an email during that time and didn't get a response, you may want to resend it. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Alert: Watch out for scammers posing as NC State Board of Dental Examiners

Update: The NC Attorney General's Office has now become aware of this and has posted a warning on their website: view the message online

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Recently the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners has heard from licensees who have been targeted by scammers representing themselves as NCSBDE investigators or officials. We are posting this notice to raise awareness of this possible threat.

Scammers have approached licensed dentists via telephone or letter.  The specific scenario presented to the licensee who is the target of the scam seems to vary, but be aware of the following:
  •  The licensee is told that he or she is under investigation and will receive a disciplinary action unless an immediate payment is made;
  •  The licensee is told that his or her license is expired, suspended, or that annual registration did not go through and cannot be reinstated without an immediate payment;
  •  Phone scams may involve multiple “officials” – such as NCSBDE investigators or “Drug Enforcement Administration agents” - who claim to have evidence of wrongdoing by the licensee.
If you receive any communication, via telephone or letter, that demands immediate payment, the NCSBDE advises you NOT to provide any personal or financial information to the individual or individuals requesting it.

• If you are speaking with the caller, HANG UP;
• If you receive a letter that provides a telephone number, DO NOT CALL IT. Scammers may use technology that makes it appear you have dialed the actual North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners when, in fact, you are speaking with a con artist.

You may wish to contact NCSBDE at 919-678 8223 or info@ncdentalboard.org to report the communication received and confirm the current status of your license.

If you have provided personal or financial information to an individual you think may be a scammer, find information on steps you can take to protect yourself below.

What if I gave out my credit card number?
If you provided your credit card number or other financial information to someone you believe may be a scammer, you should immediately notify the credit card issuer and report it as lost/stolen. In addition, you can put a temporary credit freeze on yourself with the three credit bureaus to prevent scammers from opening new accounts in your name. Be aware that you will be unable to obtain instant credit, obtain a loan or request a credit report until you notify the credit bureau to lift the freeze.

Experian
Equifax
TransUnion

I believe my identity may have been stolen

Find information on how to report identity theft at the Federal Trade Commission’s website.

Latest Updates Regarding Covid Sterilization Reports and CPR Information

To read the Board's latest updates regarding COVID Sterilization Reports, click here.

To read the latest information regarding CPR certification, click here.

Important Information!

Board Statements on COVID-19

On May 13, 2020, the NC State Board of Dental Examiners (the Board) voted to adopt two emergency rules which allow for temporary licenses for dentists and dental hygienists during a time of emergency, as authorized pursuant to S.L. 2020-3, s. 4.38 and G.S. 90-28.5.  In accordance with S.L. 2020-3 and G.S. 150B-21.1A, the emergency rules became effective on Friday, May 22, 2020. Go to the dental licensing page or the dental hygiene licensing page to read the text of the rules.

Click here to read statement on providing dental services during the COVID-19 pandemic adopted by the NC State Board of Dental Examiners.
The Board statement has been updated to include a link to the most recent guidance issued by the CDC this week, which the Board highly recommends dentists and other dental professionals review prior to providing dental services. The Board continues to monitor COVID-19 developments closely and may issue additional statements as information and changing conditions demand.    

Pursuant to North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper’s Executive Order No. 130, Section 3, the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners ("Board") has been authorized to waive or modify regulatory licensure requirements temporarily for persons that meet certain qualifications, where those licensure requirements would prevent or impair allowing those persons to provide care.  This licensure application waiver and modification is temporary and is effective only until June 26, 2020, unless Executive Order Nos. 130 and 139 are further extended with a superseding Executive Order. Details may be found on each licensure page: Dental, Hygiene and Intern Posted April 21.

Link to most recent OSHA Guidelines on preparing the workplace for the COVID-19 Virus. Posted April 2.

Here is the latest information regarding COVID-19 released on March 27.
Click here for COVID-19 Definitions of Emergency Treatment.
Click here regarding use of Teledentistry during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Click here for information from the NC Pharmacy Board regarding Prescribing Abuses during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Click here to read the information we were asked to share by the Department of Health and Human Services regarding COVID-19 on March 20.

Click here to read the Board Statement regarding dental practices and COVID-19 issued on March 18.

Click here to see a State by State comparison on Dental Recommendations on COVID-19.

Click here to read the Board Statement regarding dental practices and COVID-19 issued on March 16.

New State Law Requires Opioid Prescribing Course

Beginning in 2017, as a condition of dental license renewal for 2018, all licensees who prescribe controlled substances MUST complete an annual CE course of at least one hour that shall include, but not be limited to, instruction on controlled substance prescribing practice and controlled substance prescribing for chronic pain management. Courses may be taken in-person or online. See the “What’s New” tab for more information.

Board's E-Newsletter Now Available

The Board is no longer publishing a paper version of "The Dental Board Forum." The new electronic newsletter entitled "E-Forum" is its replacement and will be posted regularly on this website. To view the latest editions click here.

Notice of Request for Early Review by Rules Review Commission and Right to Object

The Board of Dental Examiners is engaged in the process of periodic review of its rules under N.C.G.S. 150B-21.3A.  The Board has proposed whether each one of its rules should remain in the Administrative Code, be removed or be readopted; has received public comments on those categorizations; has considered those public comments; and has adopted a final report categorizing its rules.

The next step in the process is for the North Carolina Rules Review Commission (the “RRC”) to review that report and issue a final determination on the categorization of the rules.  That review is currently scheduled for February 2019.  However, because the Board has already prepared its final report and would like to accelerate the process of streamlining its regulations, the Board has asked the RRC to reschedule its review of our final classifications for the rules to an earlier date.  At its October 19, 2017 meeting, the RRC will consider whether to reschedule the RRC’s review to an earlier date.  The Board has requested that the review occur at the RRC’s meeting on November 16, 2017.
 
You have a right to submit public comments on our request for early review of our final rule classifications.   The only matter currently before the RRC is whether the review will occur in February 2019, as scheduled, or on an earlier date.  The substance of the categorizations will not be reviewed until November 16, 2017 (if the Board’s request is granted).

The RRC will consider objections from the public when it decides whether to grant our early review request. You have a right to submit public comments on our request for early review of our final rule classifications.  If you have an objection to the early review request, you should submit it in writing to the RRC before its October 19, 2017 meeting. You can submit your objection:
·         By email to: rrc.comments@oah.nc.gov.
·         By USPS to: NC Rules Review Commission, 6714 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-6700.
·         In person or by delivery service to: NC Rules Review Commission, 1711 New Hope Church Road, Raleigh NC, 27609.

Functions of the Board of Dental Examiners
The administration of licensure examinations for dentists and dental hygienists
The promulgation of rules and enforcement of laws and regulations governing the practice of dentistry and dental hygiene in this state
The issuance and renewal of licenses to dentists and dental hygienists