Dentist Licensure Requirements in North Dakota

The ADA lists two accepted clinical examination pathways: the American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX) exam administered by CDCA-WREB-CITA, and the CRDTS+SRTA combined regional exam.

Applicants must provide evidence of a Board-approved clinical examination taken within five years of application, with required components covering a periodontal component, a posterior composite or amalgam restoration, a class three restorative procedure, an endodontic component, and, after April 1, 2021, a fixed prosthetic component.

The Board accepts all regional clinical exams, but the Canadian OSCE exam does not substitute for the clinical board requirement.

North Dakota Century Code 43-28-10.1 requires an accredited dental degree, passage of the national boards examination (or the National Dental Examining Board of Canada), a clinical competency exam from a board-approved regional testing service, and a written exam on North Dakota's dental laws and rules taken within one year of application, together with the absence of denial grounds under Section 43-28-18.

Administrative Code 20-02-01-03.1 adds that the national boards and clinical competency exams must be passed within five years of application, repeats the same five clinical components, and requires a CPR course completed within two years plus the physical health and visual acuity to meet minimum standards of professional competence.

Section 20-02-01-03.3 requires applications to be completed within six months of filing and lets the Board require an interview and supporting documentation, including a criminal history record check and certifications of good standing from every jurisdiction where the applicant is licensed.

Section 20-02-01-03.4 allows an applicant three attempts at the clinical exam before remedial training is required, followed by a board-approved remedial plan and proof of passing it within twenty-four months before a fourth attempt is permitted.

Section 43-28-15 lets the Board issue a license by credential review to an applicant who has been licensed in good standing and actively practicing dentistry in another jurisdiction with substantially equivalent requirements for at least five years immediately preceding application, has no grounds for denial under Section 43-28-18, pays the board's fee, delivers a certificate of good standing from every jurisdiction where licensed, and passes a written examination on North Dakota's dental laws and rules administered by the board at a meeting.

Administrative Code 20-02-01-03.2 adds the same CPR course and physical health/visual acuity standards as licensure by examination, plus completion of thirty-two hours of continuing education within two years of application.

Dentist advertising must be truthful and non-misleading, include the dentist's (or partnership's/corporation's) legal name and practice location, and may not claim superiority over another licensed dentist unless the claim can be substantiated.

A general dentist may describe available services but must avoid language implying specialist status; only a dentist who has completed a qualifying postdoctoral program of two or more years (resulting in a master's degree or certificate) or who is a diplomate of a board-recognized certifying board may advertise as a specialist in that area.

Dentists who advertise on radio or television must retain a recorded copy of the advertisement for one year and produce it to the Board within thirty days of a request.

Licenses expire December 31 of every odd-numbered year and renew on submission of a renewal application, the board's fee, and proof of completed continuing education; a license not renewed within sixty days after expiration lapses, and the dentist must meet the full requirements for licensure again to practice.

Administrative Code 20-02-01-06 sets the continuing education minimum at thirty-two hours per two-year cycle, of which no more than sixteen hours may come from self-study; that 32-hour total must include at least two hours of ethics or jurisprudence (passing the laws-and-rules exam counts as the equivalent), at least two hours of infection control, a hands-on CPR course, and, for sedation and anesthesia permit holders, at least six hours on sedation or anesthesia plus two hours on anesthesia emergencies, with no more than two hours counting toward practice management or administrative topics.

Effective January 1, 2028, dentists who administer general anesthesia, deep sedation, or moderate sedation must also complete anesthesia simulation training, repeated every five years.