Georgia Dental Licensing by Credentials

Georgia does license dentists by credentials, but with conditions. The Georgia Board of Dentistry calls the route "provisional licensure by credentials," and it rests on three tests, each of which can rule a dentist out: where you are licensed now, whether you practiced full time for each of the last five years, and what kind of clinical exam you passed.

The authority is O.C.G.A. section 43-11-41 and Board Rule 150-7-.04. The details below come from the rule text the Board published with its 2020 amendment notice and from the Board's credentials application, revised April 2024.

Which states' dentists can apply?

Rule 150-7-.04(2) says: "Only those applicants licensed and currently engaged in full-time clinical practice ... in a state that has a credentialing law similar to the licensure by credentials law in Georgia will be considered by the board for a provisional license by credentials. Applicants from states not issuing licenses by credentials are ineligible."

That sentence matters for dentists licensed in a state without a credentials route. A dentist practicing only in Florida, for example, comes from a state whose board says it "does not issue licenses by endorsement or credentials." See states without a dental credentials route. The rule exempts active duty military dentists and contract employees on federal installations in Georgia from this state-of-practice requirement, as long as they meet everything else.

Graduates of dental schools not accredited by CODA face added steps. The rule requires them to complete the last two years of a predoctoral program as full-time students at an ADA-accredited dental school approved by the Board, receive the DDS or DMD there, and provide the dean's certification that they reached the same didactic and clinical competency expected of the school's graduates. See licensure paths for foreign-trained dentists.

What counts as five years of full-time practice?

The rule defines "full-time clinical practice" as "a minimum of 1,000 hours for each full twelve (12) month period of licensure immediately preceding the date of the application in the hands-on treatment of patients." You need it, or full-time clinical faculty practice at the same 1,000 hours, or a combination, "for each of the five years immediately preceding the date of the application."

Residency time does not count. The rule says "neither clinical practice through training programs nor during periods of residency qualifies," and the application repeats it: "Training programs do not qualify as full time clinical practice. Please note that the practice requirement cannot be waived as it is required by law." You prove the five years with a notarized employment affidavit listing every practice location and its dates. Our post on years-of-practice rules for licensure by credentials compares Georgia's test with other states'.

Which clinical exam does Georgia accept?

This test deserves the most attention. Georgia wants "a certification letter from a dental board or regional testing agency of a passing score of 75 or higher on each section of a clinical licensure examination substantially equivalent to the clinical licensure examination required in Georgia." Under Rule 150-7-.04(5)(a), that certification must say the exam "included procedures performed on human subjects" and evaluated eight areas:

1. periodontics, human subject clinical abilities testing;
2. endodontics, clinical abilities testing;
3. a posterior class II amalgam or composite preparation and restoration, human subject clinical abilities testing;
4. an anterior class III composite preparation and restoration, human subject clinical abilities testing;
5. crown preparation, clinical abilities testing;
6. prosthetics, written or clinical abilities testing;
7. oral diagnosis, written or clinical abilities testing; and
8. oral surgery, written or clinical abilities testing.

Two more conditions: "Sections of clinical licensure examinations that include slot preparations of restorative dentistry shall not be deemed substantially equivalent," and scores "MUST be broken down by section." For exams after January 1, 1998, the rule also requires anonymity between candidates and raters, calibrated raters and a post-exam analysis. After a fourth failure of any section of a clinical exam, the rule says "no further attempts will be recognized by the board for licensure by credentials in Georgia."

A dentist whose exam was manikin-based, or whose first license came through a residency rather than an exam, should get a written answer from the Board on how it will read their scores before paying the fee. In 2020 the Board proposed a narrow discretionary waiver of a specific human-subject requirement for specialists who have practiced their specialty for at least 10 years and whose exam lacked human-subject testing in that area. Ask the Board whether it applies to you. See ADEX and which clinical exams each state accepts.

What else goes into a Georgia credentials application?

The April 2024 application checklist lists:

• A notarized application and the $3,025 non-refundable fee.
• License verification for every dental license ever held, in the original sealed envelope from each board or emailed directly by it, dated within four months of the Board's receipt of your complete packet. Each must show licensure date, status, standing and any discipline, and any discipline needs the complaint, the outcome and your written explanation.
• An official transcript showing your DDS or DMD from a CODA-accredited school, sealed or emailed directly by the school.
• National Board scores, downloaded and also released electronically to the Board by the JCNDE.
• The Georgia jurisprudence examination, included in the packet. It is open book, requires a score of 75 or higher, is valid for one year, and comes with a notarized affidavit that you completed it "without the aid or assistance of any individual."
• An NPDB report dated within four months, in its original sealed envelope.
• CPR certification, your DEA registration (or a letter if you have none), a malpractice questionnaire for each suit, two references in sealed envelopes, a criminal history consent and a citizenship affidavit with identification.

The Board "cannot process incomplete applications," keeps incomplete ones for one year, and then voids them. It says the process "could take up to a minimum of 30 days after submission of a completed application," and "all credentials applications must be considered by the Board," which ties timing to Board meetings. See why dental license applications take as long as they do.

After Georgia issues the license, what then?

• You must start practicing in Georgia. The application says that "the applicant by credentials must establish active practice in this state within two years of receiving such license or the license shall be automatically revoked." A Georgia license held only as a backup does not last.
• Renewal is due by the last day of December in odd-numbered years, regardless of when you were licensed.
• PDMP enrollment. Under O.C.G.A. section 16-13-57, a dentist with a DEA registration must enroll in Georgia's Prescription Drug Monitoring Program within 30 days of obtaining the registration, whether or not they prescribe controlled substances.

Military spouses, service members and transitioning service members can request expedited review under Rule 150-7-.06. Sedation permits are separate in Georgia, as elsewhere. See dental sedation and anesthesia permits by state.

Is Georgia in the dental compact?

No. Georgia has not enacted the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact, and no state is issuing compact privileges yet. See the dental compact hub.

How do we help with Georgia?

With a $3,025 non-refundable fee, a Georgia file is worth checking before it goes in. Our Dentist License by Credentials service is $799 for Georgia. We confirm your current state has a credentials law, test five years of 1,000-hour practice against your records, get section-by-section score certifications and compare them with the eight required areas, order every verification and the NPDB report so their dates line up inside the four-month window, and give you a question-by-question guide. You complete and sign the application before a notary, take the open-book jurisprudence exam yourself, pay the Board and submit. Board, notary and verification fees are separate. See the Georgia requirements page, or start with the $149 Dental Licensure Readiness Review.