(a)Any person desiring to practice dental hygiene in the State of Texas must possess a license issued by the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners (Board) as required by law. (b)Any applicant for licensure under this chapter must meet the requirements of this section. (c)[(b)] To be eligible for licensure, an applicant must present on or accompanying a form approved by the Board [State Board of Dental Examiners satisfactory] proof satisfactory to the Board that the applicant: (1)Is at least 18 years of age;[.] (2)Has graduated from an accredited high school or holds a certificate of high school equivalency, General Equivalency Diploma (GED) ;[.] (3)Has graduated from a recognized dental school or college of dentistry accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association and approved by the Board [State Board of Dental Examiners] with a degree in dentistry or a degree or certificate in dental hygiene, or has graduated from a recognized school or college of dental hygiene accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association and approved by the Board [State Board of Dental Examiners] with a degree in dental hygiene;[ .] (4)Has taken and passed the examination for dental hygienists in its entirety given by the American Dental Association Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations;[.] (5)Has successfully completed a current course in basic life support; [given by the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross.] (6)Has taken and passed the jurisprudence examination administered by the Board or an entity designated by the Board [State Board of Dental Examiners] within one year immediately prior to application ; and,[.] [(7)Has taken and passed in its entirety the appropriate clinical examination administered by a regional examining board designated by the State Board of Dental Examiners; and] (7)[(8)] Has paid all application ,[/]examination and licensing fees required by law and Board rules and regulations. (d)[(c)] Applications for licensure must be delivered to the office of the State Board of Dental Examiners. (e)[(d)] An application for licensure is filed with the Board [State Board of Dental Examiners] when it is actually received, date-stamped, and logged-in by the Board [SBDE] along with all required documentation and fees. An incomplete application for licensure and fee will be returned to applicant within three working days with an explanation of additional documentation or information needed. (f)[(e)] In the event an applicant is uncertain whether he/she is qualified according to rule and law for licensure as a dental hygienist, prior to taking the clinical examination a written request may be submitted by the applicant with all proof required other than clinical examination scores. The Board [State Board of Dental Examiners] will review the information and advise the applicant whether he or she is qualified for licensure pending successful completion of the clinical examination. The qualifying clinical examination must be taken within one year of the date of being so advised by the Board [State Board of Dental Examiners]. (g)Designated regional examining boards. (1)The following regional examining boards have been designated as acceptable by the State Board of Dental Examiners as of the effective dates shown: (A)Western Regional Examining Board, January 1, 1994; (B)Central Regional Dental Testing Service, January 1, 2002; (C)Northeast Regional Board, January 1, 2005; (D)Southern Regional Testing Agency, January 1, 2005; and, (2)Examination results will be accepted for five years from the date of the examination. (3)Only results from examinations taken after the indicated acceptance date will be accepted.
This agency hereby certifies that the proposal has been reviewed
by legal counsel and found to be within the agency's legal authority to adopt.
Filed with the Office of
the Secretary of State on February 24, 2004
TRD-200401368 Bobby D. Schmidt, M.Ed.
Executive Director
State Board of Dental Examiners
Earliest possible date of adoption: April 11, 2004
For further information, please call: (512) 475-0972
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