Dentist Licensure Requirements in Kentucky
Kentucky licenses general dentists on a CODA-accredited dental degree, the NBDE Parts I and II or the INBDE, and the board's jurisprudence exam, then requires one of three pathways: a clinical examination (CDCA-WREB-CITA, CRDTS, DLOSCE or SRTA) taken within five years of applying, licensure by credentials for a dentist licensed and practicing elsewhere for at least five of the preceding six years, or licensure by foreign training.
Licenses run on a two-year cycle expiring December 31 of odd-numbered years, with 30 hours of continuing education required each period.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
ADA compilation, updated 31 January 2025
Clinical exam accepted
CDCA-WREB-CITA · CRDTS · DLOSCE · SRTA
Per state statute or rule
Continuing education
30 hours of continuing education during each two-year licensure period
Conditions apply — see below
Licensure by credentials
Pathway exists
Verified September 2026
Regulated by
Kentucky Board of Dentistry
Initial Licensure Examination Requirements
The ADA lists four accepted clinical examinations for Kentucky: CDCA-WREB-CITA, CRDTS, DLOSCE, or SRTA.
An applicant must successfully complete all components of one of these examinations within the five years preceding the filing of the application.
General Licensure Requirements
KRS 313.030 sets the license term at two years, expiring December 31, with a dentist's license expiring in odd-numbered years. 201 KAR 8:533 Section 1 requires every applicant for initial licensure as a general dentist to demonstrate English proficiency at a ninth-grade level, submit a notarized application with a recent photo, pay the required fee, and have no disqualifying disciplinary history.
It also requires passing the board's jurisprudence exam, holding an active CPR certification meeting American Heart Association guidelines, submitting to a fingerprint-based state and federal criminal background check, disclosing any prior dental license, holding a CODA-accredited DMD or DDS degree, and passing the NBDE Parts I and II or the INBDE.
An applicant must also explain any positive National Practitioner Data Bank query and complete one of three additional pathways: licensure by clinical examination, licensure by credentials, or licensure by foreign training.
Section 2 sets the clinical-examination pathway: the same Section 1 requirements plus one of the four listed clinical exams within five years of applying.
An applicant applying more than two years after graduation must either hold a license in good standing in another state or territory or complete a board-approved continuing education plan, and an applicant who has failed a clinical exam three times must complete a board-approved remediation plan.
“The license or registration held by a dentist, dental hygienist, or dental assistant shall be valid for a period of two (2) years.”
License by Credential/Endorsement Requirements
An applicant for licensure by credentials must complete all Section 1 general requirements, successfully complete a state, regional, or national clinical examination used to determine clinical competency in a state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia, and have been licensed and actively practicing dentistry in a state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia for at least five of the six years preceding the application.
Specialty Practice
KRS 313.035 directs the board to recognize only specialty fields duly recognized and approved by the American Dental Association, and bars specialists from practicing outside their specialty except in charitable dentistry, a declared disaster, or when a patient's special needs require continued treatment by a pediatric dentist past age 18. 201 KAR 8:533 Section 8 requires a specialty applicant to submit a notarized specialty application with a recent photo, pay the required fee, hold an active Kentucky general dentistry license before receiving a specialty license, and complete a CODA-accredited graduate or postgraduate specialty program after dental school.
Continuing Education
A Kentucky-licensed dentist must complete 30 hours of continuing education during each two-year licensure period.
Exceptions cut that in half or waive it: a licensee issued a new or reinstated license in the second year of the period owes only half the hours, as does a licensee who graduated in the first year of the period; a licensee who graduated in the second year of the period owes none, and neither does a charitable limited license holder; the board may also grant a hardship waiver or deferment on request.
Of the 30 hours, at least 10 must be in a live interactive presentation format, at most 10 may come from charitable or volunteer clinical dentistry, business operations and best practices, or dental association or society business meetings, and at least 3 must cover the Kentucky All Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting System (KASPER), pain management, or addiction disorders.
Dentists holding a sedation permit must also meet the separate continuing education requirements of 201 KAR 8:550, Section 8.
Records must be kept for five years, and licensees are subject to audit.
What This Page Does — and Doesn’t — Cover
This page summarizes the statutes and rules the ADA’s compilation cites for Kentuckyas of its 31 January 2025 update. It does not list application forms, current fees, background-check steps, or processing times, and it is not a substitute for the Kentucky Board of Dentistry’s own application instructions.
Accepted examinations, residency substitutes and continuing-education topics change by statute and by board rule. Confirm every requirement with the Kentucky Board of Dentistry before you register for an exam or submit an application.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which clinical exam does Kentucky accept for a dental license?
The ADA's compilation lists four accepted clinical examinations for Kentucky: CDCA-WREB-CITA, CRDTS, DLOSCE, and SRTA.
An applicant must successfully complete all components of one of these examinations within the five years preceding the filing of the application.
Confirm the current list with the Kentucky Board of Dentistry before registering, because accepted examinations can change.
Does Kentucky require a residency to become a dentist?
No. The ADA compilation for Kentucky does not list a postdoctoral residency requirement.
Instead, an applicant for initial licensure as a general dentist must complete one of three pathways under 201 KAR 8:533 Section 1: licensure by clinical examination, licensure by credentials, or licensure by foreign training, alongside the degree, national board exam, and jurisprudence exam requirements that apply to every applicant.
Can a dentist licensed in another state get a Kentucky license by credentials?
Yes.
Under 201 KAR 8:533 Section 3, an applicant for licensure by credentials must meet the general Section 1 requirements, have successfully completed a state, regional, or national clinical competency examination in a U.S. state, territory, or the District of Columbia, and have been licensed and actively practicing dentistry there for at least five of the preceding six years.
How much continuing education does a Kentucky dentist need?
A Kentucky-licensed dentist must complete 30 hours of continuing education during each two-year licensure period, which runs to December 31 of odd-numbered years.
Of those hours, at least 10 must be live and interactive, and at least 3 must cover the KASPER prescription-monitoring system, pain management, or addiction disorders.
A licensee issued a new or reinstated license in the second year of the period, or who graduated in the first year of the period, owes only half the hours; a licensee who graduated in the second year owes none, and neither does a charitable limited license holder; the board can also grant hardship waivers.
More Kentucky & Dentist Resources
Sourced from the ADA Council on Dental Education and Licensure, Kentucky Laws & Rules (Updated 31 January 2025). Verified September 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice — confirm current rules with the Kentucky Board of Dentistry.