(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) [(SBDE)] as required by the Dental Practice Act and Board rules [law ]. (b)Any applicant for licensure under this chapter must meet the requirements of this section. (c)To be eligible for licensure, an applicant must present on or accompanying a licensure application form approved by the Board [SBDE] proof satisfactory to the Board [SBDE] that the applicant: (1)Is at least 18 years of age; (2)Is of good moral character and professional fitness, which is demonstrated by patterns of personal, academic and occupational behaviors, including final or pending disciplinary action on an occupational license, which, in the judgment of the Board, indicate honesty, accountability, trustworthiness, reliability, integrity, and ability; (3)[(2)] Has graduated from an accredited high school or holds a certificate of high school equivalency, General Equivalency Diploma (GED); (4)[(3)] Has graduated from a [recognized] dental school [or college of dentistry] accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association (CODA) [and approved by the SBDE] with a degree in dentistry or a degree or certificate in dental hygiene, or has graduated from a CODA-accredited [recognized] school or college of dental hygiene [accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association and approved by the Board] with a degree in dental hygiene; (5)[(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; (6)Has met the requirements of §101.8 of this title (relating to Persons with Criminal Backgrounds); (7)[(5)] Has successfully completed a current course in basic life support; (8)[(6)] Has taken and passed the jurisprudence assessment administered by the Board [SBDE ] or an entity designated by the Board [SBDE] within one year prior to application; (9)[(7)] Has paid all application, examination and licensing fees required by the Dental Practice Act [law] and Board [SBDE] rules [and regulations]; and[,] (10)[(8)] Has submitted fingerprints for the retrieval of criminal history record information. [ Beginning January 1, 2009, has submitted proof of having applicant's fingerprints collected for the required national fingerprint criminal records check.] (d)Applications for licensure must be delivered to the office of the [State] Board [of Dental Examiners]. (e)An application for licensure is filed with the Board [SBDE] 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)Each applicant must submit to the Board the documents and information required by this chapter and other documents or information requested by the Board to evaluate an application and take appropriate actions. [In the event a potential 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 potential applicant with all proof required other than clinical examination scores. The SBDE 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 SBDE. A potential applicant who believes that his or her criminal history may disqualify him or her from licensure may request a Criminal History Evaluation Letter in accordance with §103.8 of this chapter.]
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 March 1, 2013
TRD-201300941 Glenn
Parker
Executive Director
State Board of Dental Examiners
Earliest possible date of adoption: April 14, 2013
For further information, please call: (512) 475-0987
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