Each applicant for a license to practice a dental specialty by examination must possess the following qualifications. Individuals licensed to practice a dental specialty shall be limited to practice only in that specialty area:

1. A. graduated and received a diploma from an accredited dental school as defined in Subsection A of Section 61-5A-12 NMSA; and

2. B. a postgraduate degree or certificate from an accredited dental school or approved residency program as defined in Subsection E of Section 61-5A-12 NMSA 1978 in one of the following specialty areas:

   1. (1) dental public health,
   2. (2) endodontics,
   3. (3) oral and maxillofacial surgery,
   4. (4) orthodontics and dento-facial orthopedics,
   5. (5) oral pathology,
   6. (6) pediatric dentistry,
   7. (7) periodontology,
   8. (8) prosthodontics, or
   9. (9) other specialties approved by the American dental association;
3. C. successfully completed the dental national board examination as defined in Subsection A of Section 61-5A-12 NMSA 1978;
4. D. passed a specialty clinical examination approved by the board; the results of the exam are valid in New Mexico for a period not to exceed five years; examination results must be sent directly to the board office;
5. E. an applicant in any specialty defined above for which there is no specialty clinical examination may substitute diplomat status for the examination;
6. F. completed the jurisprudence exam with a score of at least seventy five percent; the applicant shall schedule the exam through the board office; and
7. G. the board requires a level II background status report from a board designated professional background service; application for this service will be included with other application materials; the applicant will apply and pay fees directly to a board designated professional background service to initiate this service.

[16.5.6.9 NMAC - Rp, 16.5.6.9 NMAC, 5/31/2023]