1. (a) Each application for a license to practice dentistry shall be submitted by the applicant and no license shall be issued to any person unless he or she presents (1) a diploma or other certificate of graduation conferring a dental degree from a dental college or from a department of dentistry of a medical college accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation or its successor organization; (2) evidence of satisfactory completion of a written examination or examinations given by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, subject to such conditions as the State Dental Commission as described in section 20-103a, with the consent of the Commissioner of Public Health, may prescribe; and (3) evidence of satisfactory completion of at least one year of a clinically based postdoctoral general practice or specialty dental residency program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, or its successor organization.

2. (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, the department may issue a license to practice dentistry to any applicant holding a diploma from a foreign dental school, provided the applicant:

   1. (1) Is a graduate of a dental school located outside the United States and has received the degree of doctor of dental medicine or surgery, or its equivalent; (2) passed the written and practical examination or examinations required in subsection (a) of this section or section 20-108; (3) successfully completed not less than two years of graduate dental training as a resident dentist in a program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation; and (4) successfully completed, at a level greater than the second postgraduate year, not less than three years of a residency or fellowship training program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation in a school of dentistry in this state, or has served as a full-time faculty member of a school of dentistry in this state pursuant to the provisions of section 20-120 for not less than three years.

(1949 Rev., S. 4447; 1963, P.A. 642, S. 22; P.A. 79-70, S. 1; P.A. 80-484, S. 39, 176; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 05-213, S. 5; P.A. 11-242, S. 75; P.A. 19-72, S. 1.)

History: 1963 act deleted provision for application by a registered unlicensed assistant dentist; P.A. 79-70 required three years' practice in another state rather than five years' practice; P.A. 80-484 replaced three years' practice requirement with requirement that applicant be currently practicing, established health services department rather than dental commission as authority for weighing equivalency of other states' requirements, required consent of health services commissioner for approval of colleges and required that commission consult with recognized accrediting agencies in determining acceptable colleges; P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner of health services with commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 05-213 designated existing language re application for license to practice dentistry as Subsec. (a), amended Subsec. (a) by making technical changes, designated existing language re Dental Commission's authority to designate reputable dental or medical colleges as Subsec. (b), amended Subsec. (b) by deleting language re presentation of certificate from State Board of Education and making technical changes, and added Subsec. (c) allowing foreign-trained applicants who hold a doctor of dental medicine or dental surgery degree or its equivalent to obtain a dentist license under certain circumstances; P.A. 11-242 amended Subsec. (c)(4) by requiring graduates of foreign dental schools to have successfully completed not less than 3 years, rather than 2 years, of an accredited residency or fellowship training program in a school of dentistry in this state as a condition for licensure and by deleting provision re training in a community or school-based health center, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 19-72 substantially amended Subsec. (a) including by replacing “in writing and signed” with “submitted”, designating existing provisions re diploma or certificate of graduation as Subdiv. (1) and amending same by adding “conferring a dental degree”, deleting “some reputable” re college, replacing provisions re college conferring dental degree with college accredited by Commission on Dental Accreditation, adding Subdiv. (2) re examination, and adding Subdiv. (3) re postdoctoral general practice or dental residency program, deleted former Subsec. (b) re determination of reputable colleges, redesignated existing Subsec. (c) as new Subsec. (b), and made technical and conforming changes, effective January 1, 2020.