Dentist Licensure Requirements in Maryland

The ADA lists the American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX) examination, administered as CDCA-WREB-CITA, as the accepted clinical exam for Maryland dentists, with completion of all sections required.

Maryland accepts either the all-manikin or the live-patient version of the exam.

An applicant for a general dentistry license must be at least 18 years old, of good moral character, and hold a DDS, DMD or equivalent degree from a school the Board recognizes as requiring adequate preprofessional training and maintaining an acceptable course of dental instruction.

Applicants must pass the ADLEX (the American Dental Licensing Examination designed and developed by ADEX) with a score of 75 or greater on every required section, the National Board examinations administered by the ADA's Council of National Boards, and a two-part Maryland law examination — general questions on laws, regulations and ethics, plus Maryland jurisprudence questions — also scored at 75 or greater per section.

A dentist licensed in another state can be issued a Maryland license either by passing the ADLEX and the Maryland Dental Jurisprudence Examination, or — without retaking the ADLEX — by showing at least 850 hours per year of active dental practice over the preceding five years, a passed examination with a clinical component from another state's licensure requirements, ADEX's comprehensive written examination on applied clinical diagnosis and treatment planning, and the Maryland Dental Jurisprudence Examination.

Applicants cannot be under investigation by another state's disciplinary authority or have charges pending against their license, and time spent in the armed forces, state or federal dental programs, postgraduate internships, or residency programs within the preceding five years counts toward the required practice hours.

A licensed dentist may not use a specialty designation in advertising, on a sign, letterhead, or in a directory listing unless the Board has identified them as a specialist in that field.

COMAR 10.44.14.03 recognizes nine specialty areas: endodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, oral pathology, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics, prosthodontics, public health, and any specialty approved by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

A dentist qualifies for Board identification as a specialist by completing a Board-approved specialty training program, or by having reasonably represented themselves to the public as a specialist before July 1, 1979.

A general dentistry license expires on June 30 of the second year following its effective date, and renewal requires paying the renewal fee and completing the Board's continuing education requirements.

COMAR 10.44.22.04 sets the minimum at 30 full hours of continuing education per two-year cycle, including 2 hours of infection control, plus a 2-hour abuse-and-neglect course and a 2-hour course on proper prescribing and disposal of prescription drugs, each required once every other renewal cycle.

Up to 8 hours per cycle can come from approved volunteer pro bono dental services and up to 4 hours from cultural competency courses, and a dentist first licensed within 6 months of graduation is exempt from continuing education for their first renewal.

A Board-approved examination completed within the preceding two years — including NERB's exams, CRDTA's or SRTA's written exams, the National Board's Part II examination, the AGD Fellowship Examination, or an exam leading to specialty Diplomate status — may substitute for the 30-hour requirement.