Dentist Licensure Requirements in Idaho

The ADA lists three accepted clinical examinations for Idaho: the American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX) examination as administered by CDCA-WREB-CITA, CRDTS, and SRTA.

Examinations taken after April 1, 2022 must include a patient-based or manikin operative section, a patient-based or manikin periodontal section, a simulated endodontic section, a simulated prosthodontic section, and a written competency examination.

For examinations taken before that date, the board accepts a manikin-based exam in place of the patient-based operative exam, and WREB's CTP exam in place of the patient-based periodontal exam.

CITA is accepted only for the years 2016 and 2017, and only if it included a periodontal section.

Idaho Statutes 54-915 bars licensure to anyone with a disqualifying criminal history absent proof of rehabilitation, and requires a dentist applicant to graduate with a degree of doctor of dental surgery or doctor of dental medicine from a board-approved dental school and pass the examinations described in section 54-918.

Section 54-916 sets an application fee of not more than $300 for dentists (with separate caps for dental therapists, hygienists and specialists), which is not refunded.

Section 54-918 requires a written jurisprudence examination with a 75% passing score, plus a 75% passing score on any additional written or clinical examination, though the board may accept the American Dental Association's National Board Dental Examinations in place of its own written exam and results from an approved national or regional testing organization in place of its own clinical exam.

Idaho Administrative Code 24.31.01.100 adds that applicants must furnish proof of graduation from a CODA-accredited program and current BLS certification, pass the INBDE, and pass a board-approved clinical examination whose results remain valid for licensure for five years from the date of successful completion.

The board may issue a dental license without further examination to an applicant who currently holds an active license in good standing in another state with no disciplinary proceedings or unresolved complaints pending, has been in clinical practice for at least five years immediately preceding the application for a minimum of 3,500 hours, and has graduated from a CODA-accredited dental school.

The applicant must also have successfully completed the National Board Dental Examinations and a board-approved clinical examination, and must pay the application fee set by board rule.

An applicant for specialty licensure must have graduated from a CODA-accredited dental school and completed a CODA-accredited postdoctoral advanced dental education program of at least two full-time academic years.

On examination, the applicant must have either passed a general licensure examination acceptable to the board; if that general licensure examination was not acceptable to the board, passed a specialty examination instead; or hold certification from the American Board of that specialty as of the date of application.

A dentist may not hold out as a specialist to the public without a specialty license and must limit practice to the licensed specialty, and advertising referencing a specialty not covered by a board-granted specialty license must carry a prominent disclaimer that the licensee is licensed as a general dentist or that the advertised area is not a board-recognized specialty.

Idaho dentist licenses operate on a biennial cycle: a properly completed renewal application and the biennial fee are due before September 30 of every even-numbered year, with a $50 late fee if submitted within 30 days of expiration.

The nonrefundable biennial license fee is capped at $400 for an active-status dentist license and $200 for inactive status.

Idaho Administrative Code 24.31.01.100.06 requires a licensee renewing an active-status license to report 30 oral health/health-related continuing education hour credits of verifiable CE or volunteer practice to the board.