Dental Hygiene Licensure Facts
For Foreign-Educated Hygienists and Dentists

In order to practice in the U.S. as a dental hygienist, you must obtain a license. To obtain such a license, you must be a graduate of an accredited U.S dental hygiene program, take the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and pass a state or regional clinical licensure exam. Specifically, an applicant must meet the following requirements:

• Graduate from a dental hygiene education program accredited by the American Dental Association (ADA) Commission on Dental Accreditation (CDA).
• Successful completion of the written National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE) administered by the American Dental Association Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE).
• Successful completion of the Clinical State or Regional Board Examination.
• Upon completion of the above items, one must then apply for licensure in the state where he/she wishes to practice and successfully complete a state jurisprudence examination.

Dental hygienists and dentists who have not graduated from an ADA CDA accredited program may not take the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination without first submitting evidence to the JCNDE that the program attended is equivalent to an accredited program. In such instances, the following information is usually requested::

• Copies of transcripts and curricula from the educational program attended.
• A letter in English on school stationary from the dean of the educational program attended stating the degree earned, dates attended, and date of graduation.
• The transcripts, curricula, and letter from the dean for review to one of the following persons: a dean of an accredited dental school, the program director of an accredited dental hygiene education program, or the secretary of a state board of dentistry. If the reviewer certifies that the program attended is equivalent to a US accredited program, he/she will provide a letter of verification.
• Submit this letter of verification and the letter from your program’s dean, along with a request for an application packet, to the JCNDE, 211 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, Il 60611. Telephone: (312) 440-2678.
• Graduates of accredited Canadian dental hygiene programs are considered the equivalent of US accredited programs. However, it is possible that many of the states may not recognize your education as equivalent to that obtained in the US if you have received your education in another country.

Should you decide to study dental hygiene in the United States, you should begin to think about the type of degree you wish to earn and the type of dental hygiene program to attend. A listing of all accredited dental hygiene programs in the United States can be found here .

Dental hygiene programs can be between 2-4 years in length and are located in Universities, Community Colleges and Technical schools. Graduates of accredited dental hygiene programs may be awarded a certificate, associate or baccalaureate degree.

Community colleges may require that you be a resident of the district in which the school is located in order to be eligible to enroll.

The state universities that offer dental hygiene programs will often have a state residency requirement. For students who enroll who are from out-of-state, the tuition is usually higher.

Colleges and Universities that accept students from outside the United States require a Test of English as a Foreign Language or TOEFL test. TOEFL requirements will also vary from school to school. There are also private schools that offer dental hygiene as a major course of study. These usually do not have residency requirements; however, you should check with each school to inquire about its admissions policy.

All dental hygiene programs will require some type of prerequisites, typically courses with an emphasis on science such as chemistry or biology in addition to other college level courses. Any courses taken outside of the U.S., such as those taken in your professional course of study; will probably need to be evaluated by a transcript service to ensure that they are compatible with courses offered here. The dental hygiene programs will then decide whether these previous courses may be accepted toward the degree offered at their school.

For specific information about applying for licensure in the state where one wishes to work, contact the appropriate licensing authority for information about application procedures and requirements.  A listing of these state licensing authorities can be found in the Member Resources section of our website.

For specific information about the regional or state clinical examinations contact the appropriate examining agency for information about eligibility requirements and the application process.

The Dental Hygiene National Board Examination is administered by the American Dental Association. Please request an information booklet about the Dental Hygiene Examination from the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations. Their address is:

AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION (ADA)
JOINT COMMISSION ON NATIONAL DENTAL EXAMINATIONS
211 EAST CHICAGO AVENUE
CHICAGO, IL 60611
TELEPHONE: 1-800-232-1694
National Board Dental Hygiene Exam

In order to prepare for the dental hygiene National or State Exams see a listing of National Board Review Materials