Dentist Licensure Requirements in Indiana

The ADA lists three accepted pathways for Indiana: the American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX) examination as administered by CDCA-WREB-CITA, the combined CRDTS+SRTA examination, and the DLOSCE.

An applicant must have passed all parts of the examination within the five-year period immediately before the date the board receives the application.

An applicant must graduate from a dental college the board recognizes (the board may recognize CODA-accredited schools), submit certification of a recent American Red Cross or American Heart Association CPR course (or another board-approved course), and pass an examination administered by a board-approved entity, which may not be attempted more than three times.

To be licensed, the applicant must pass all sections of the national dental board examination, a clinical examination, and a written examination on Indiana dental law, scoring at least 75 on the law exam; a failed law exam may be retaken no sooner than 30 days later.

For the clinical exam specifically, 828 IAC 1-1-7 requires passing all parts of one of the CRDTS, NERB, SRTA, or WREB examinations within the five years before the board receives the application, or taking an examination administered by the board and receiving a passing score.

The board may issue a license by endorsement, on payment of a fee, to an applicant who furnishes proof of no disqualifying criminal conviction and who is licensed in another state or Canadian province with substantially equal requirements, has practiced dentistry at least two of the preceding three years, passes the board's law examination, has completed the required continuing education hours in the previous two years, and meets all other chapter requirements.

The administrative rule adds application detail: at least 20 hours of continuing education in the previous two years (no more than 2 from basic-life-support training), successful completion of the National Board Dental Examination or the National Dental Examining Board of Canada Written Examination, a substantially equivalent clinical licensing exam passed in another state or province, active practice for at least two of the preceding three years, written statements from at least three practicing dentists attesting to ethical practice, and current certification in basic or advanced cardiac life support.

The ADA's "Specialty Practice" block for Indiana addresses for-profit dental referral services rather than specialty credentialing.

Referral-service advertisements must disclose that subscribing dentists pay a fee to participate and that members are not more or less qualified than non-members, and may not misrepresent a dentist's skills or imply a subscriber gained special recognition by joining; violating the chapter is a Class A misdemeanor.

The administrative rules also bar a referral service from steering patients to specialists unless requested, tying a dentist's fee to the number of referrals received, granting an exclusive geographic territory to one dentist, or limiting how many dentists may enroll in a region, and require the service to verify each participating dentist's licensure status and any specialist compliance.

Licenses are subject to biennial renewal; a renewal applicant pays the renewal fee plus a $20 dental compliance fee and must sign a sworn statement attesting to completed continuing education.

A dentist must complete at least 20 credit hours of continuing education each two-year license period, with at least half from live presentations or live workshops, and no more than 5 of those hours from courses specific to practice management; two hours each period must cover ethics, professional responsibility, and Indiana statutes and administrative rules governing dental licensure and practice.

A dentist who has held an initial license for less than two years is not subject to the chapter.