Reciprocity, credentials, or the same old politics?

Area of Science:

• Dental Education
• Professional Licensure

Background:

• Current dental and dental hygiene licensing procedures face dissatisfaction among practitioners in Wyoming and potentially nationwide.
• State licensing boards play a crucial role in overseeing licensure and other essential functions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To advocate for revised dental and dental hygiene licensure standards in Wyoming and other states.
• To propose that successful completion of dental school requirements and board examinations be the primary criteria for licensure.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of existing dental school accreditation and graduate examination requirements.
• Review of current state dental board licensing procedures.

Main Results:

• Dental schools have rigorous accreditation and require students to pass National or Regional Board Examinations.
• These academic and examination standards appear sufficient to ensure the professional competence of new dental graduates.

Conclusions:

• Dental schools should serve as the principal screening mechanism for licensure.
• Adopting successful completion of National Board examinations and Regional Board examinations as the standard for licensure is recommended for state boards.