Dental boards check the federal National Practitioner Data Bank and the AADB Clearinghouse for Board Actions, which records final actions by dental boards and the armed forces. Some boards query them directly; Texas requires sealed NPDB and AADB self-queries, with NPDB reports valid 60 days, and Florida requires a digitally certified NPDB self-query.
Every dental board wants to know whether you have been disciplined, sanctioned or reported anywhere else. Two national databases answer that question: the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB), run by the federal government, and the Clearinghouse for Board Actions run by the American Association of Dental Boards (AADB). Some boards query them directly. Others make the applicant order a self-query and deliver it in a particular way.
What is the AADB Clearinghouse?
The AADB, founded in 1883 as the American Association of Dental Examiners, is made up of state dental boards and people who serve on them. Its Clearinghouse provides "a central register where the final actions taken by the boards of dental examiners may be recorded." According to the AADB:
- It lists only practitioners who have been sanctioned. It covers dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants.
- Its records include "any actions taken by the state dental boards and the armed forces," reported voluntarily.
- Much of the data goes back to the mid-1980s; the AADB has reported sanctions since 1988.
- It "does not currently provide malpractice information or verify credentials."
- It accepts queries from state boards, federal agencies, contracted clients and "practitioners who request a self-query."
To search, the AADB needs your full name, date of birth, school, year of graduation and degree. It says manual requests are answered within ten business days, and online requests return preliminary results within minutes, with final results for any possible match within ten business days.
How does the NPDB differ?
The NPDB is the federal data bank. The AADB's own comparison notes that the NPDB, "a government agency, began collecting and reporting sanctions in September 1990," and that the AADB reviews each of its own queries before mailing a report. Boards query the NPDB directly or require you to order a self-query. Connecticut builds the query into its fee: of the $569.75 credentials fee, "$4.75 of the fee covers the Department's cost to query the National Practitioner Data Bank."
Which boards make you order your own report?
- Texas requires both an NPDB self-query and an AADB self-query for licensure by credentials, each with results in "the original sealed envelope." The Board says NPDB self-query reports "are valid for 60 days." Texas says it verifies NPDB and AADB self-queries from their primary sources.
- Florida requires applicants licensed elsewhere to provide "a digitally certified self-query response" from the NPDB and states that "the board office is not able to accept paper or non-certified digital copies." The Board notes that "The NPDB charges a fee to provide a self-query response."
The format rules matter. A Texas report opened before delivery, or older than 60 days, or a Florida report printed on paper, will not count.
Can an NPDB report close off a route?
Yes, in some states. Florida's MOBILE endorsement pathway requires that the applicant "Must not have ever been reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank, unless the applicant successfully appealed to have the report removed or if the reported adverse action was a result of conduct that would not constitute a violation of any Florida law or rule." Florida's health access dental license has a similar condition. Florida's telehealth registration for out-of-state providers is checked against the NPDB as well.
A report does not automatically block a standard license elsewhere, but it will draw questions. Answer the application's disclosure questions consistently with what the databank shows, and attach the records. See disclosing discipline on a dental license application.
Should you run a self-query before applying anywhere?
We recommend it. A self-query shows you what boards will see, and lets you dispute an error or prepare an explanation before it becomes a deficiency. It also tells you whether routes like Florida's MOBILE are realistic. Order the version a specific board needs separately, timed to its window.
How do we handle databank reports in a license file?
As part of a Dentist License by Credentials ($799 per state) or Full State Dental License Application ($899 per state) engagement, we tell you which reports each board requires, in what format, and when to order them so they do not expire, and we track receipt with the board. Self-queries are requested in your name, and any databank or board fee is yours. We prepare the rest of the file and a question-by-question guide; you complete, sign and submit the application. See also dental license application mistakes that cost weeks.
Common questions
- What is the AADB Clearinghouse?
- It is the American Association of Dental Boards' register of final actions taken by dental boards and the armed forces against dentists, hygienists and assistants. It lists only sanctioned practitioners and does not include malpractice information.
- How long is an NPDB self-query valid for a Texas dental application?
- The Texas State Board of Dental Examiners says NPDB self-query reports are valid for 60 days, and results must remain in the original sealed envelope.
- Will an NPDB report stop me from getting a Florida dental license?
- It can rule out some routes. Florida's MOBILE pathway and health access license require that you have never been reported to the NPDB, with narrow exceptions. The standard exam route asks for a certified self-query, and the Board reviews what it shows.
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