Specialty Licenses and Permits for Dentists

A specialist moving to a new state usually starts with the general dental license, because that is what most states issue. A few states go further and license the specialty itself, or require a separate permit before a dentist can perform certain specialty procedures. If your new state is one of them, you need the dental license and the specialty credential, and each has its own application, training proof and fee.

Which specialties are nationally recognized?

The National Commission on Recognition of Dental Specialties and Certifying Boards says it currently recognizes 12 dental specialties: dental anesthesiology, dental public health, endodontics, oral and maxillofacial pathology, oral and maxillofacial radiology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, oral medicine, orofacial pain, orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics and prosthodontics. Recognition is national and voluntary; it does not license anyone. The Commission says plainly that it does not "provide recognition or credentials for individual professionals." Whether a state licenses a specialty, or limits who may call themselves a specialist, is a matter of that state's law.

States do not always follow the national list. New York's Office of the Professions, discussing continuing education, notes that "sleep medicine is not a recognized dental specialty in New York State."

How does Illinois license dental specialists?

Illinois is the clearest example of a state that issues a separate specialist license. IDFPR's qualifications sheet for the Dental Specialist License (effective March 2026) requires current Illinois licensure as a dentist plus specialty training:

• 2 years of specialty training for endodontics, pediatric dentistry, prosthodontics, oral and maxillofacial radiology, or orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics;
• 4 years of oral and maxillofacial surgery training, including 24 months of full-time hospital training in an approved OMS residency with at least 4 months in anesthesiology;
• 3 years in a CODA-accredited dental anesthesiology program for dental anesthesiology;
• for periodontics, a program of 3 consecutive academic years with at least 30 months of instruction, including at least 2 consecutive years of clinical education in a single setting.

The application fee for a dental specialist is $300, and renewal is $300, which the rule describes as $100 per year (68 Ill. Admin. Code § 1220.415). Applications go through IDFPR's CORE online system. The specialist license matters beyond titles: Illinois lets a dentist qualify for its deep sedation and general anesthesia permit (Permit B) by holding an Illinois oral and maxillofacial surgery specialty license, among other routes (§ 1220.520). See our Illinois page for the general license that has to come first.

What specialty permits does California issue?

California does not issue a general specialist license, but its Dental Board issues permits tied to specialty practice:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS) permit. An alternate pathway for a dentist licensed in another state who holds a California physician and surgeon license. The applicant submits proof of the active Medical Board of California license, certification of the out-of-state dental license (which does not have to be current), proof of certification or eligibility for certification in OMS by a recognized specialty board, and fingerprints. The application fee is $500 and the biennial renewal is $650. An OMS permit is not required for a dentist who holds a California dental license.
• Elective Facial Cosmetic Surgery permit. Covers Category 1 (osteocartilaginous contouring such as rhinoplasty and otoplasty), Category 2 (soft tissue procedures such as facelift and blepharoplasty), or both. Applicants submit proof of a CODA-accredited OMS residency, active hospital staff status with the necessary privileges, operative reports from residency or proctored procedures within the last five years (10 per category when applying for both), and an $850 application fee. Renewal is $800 (16 CCR § 1021).
• Special Permit. For full-time faculty at a California dental school, allowing practice in their recognized specialty or discipline at that school and approved affiliates. The application is $1,000 and renewal is $125. See faculty and restricted dental licenses.

Does the dental compact cover specialty practice?

No. The Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact's FAQ says that if a remote state "requires a specialty license in order to limit practice to that specialty, the practitioner would also be required to obtain that specialty license." Separately, the compact is not issuing any privileges yet; our compact hub tracks its status.

What should a specialist gather before applying in a new state?

1. Residency or specialty program certificates showing program length and dates. Illinois measures specialty training in years; California's OMS and cosmetic permits ask for CODA-accredited residency proof.
2. Board certification status, or documentation of eligibility, from the recognized certifying board.
3. Hospital privileges letters where a permit depends on them, as California's cosmetic surgery permit does.
4. Case or operative logs for procedure-based permits.
5. Sedation credentials, which are separate again. Our sedation permit guide explains why.

How do we help with specialty licenses and permits?

Our Specialty License or Permit Add-On is $499 per state, added to a license file. We check whether the state licenses your specialty or requires a procedure permit, map your training against the rule, collect certificates and logs, and give you a question-by-question guide. You complete, sign and submit the application and pay the board; state fees are separate. If you are not sure which states need what, the $149 Dental Licensure Readiness Review is the place to start.