Tennessee Dental Licensing and the Compact

Tennessee's Board of Dentistry licenses dentists under Tennessee Code Annotated section 63-5-101 and following, and the Board's Rules in chapter 0460. Its application instructions (form PH-3168, revised April 2023) describe several avenues to a license. For most dentists moving from another state, the one that matters is called "Criteria (Reciprocity)."

Tennessee has also enacted the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact. As in every member state, compact privileges are not yet being issued, so a Tennessee license is still required to practice there.

What does licensure by criteria require?

The Board's instructions say the criteria avenue "allows a dentist who is licensed in another state and has actively practiced or taught for at least five (5) years to be considered for licensure without taking a regional examination." They cite Rule 0460-02-.01(1) and (3).

There is a middle tier. "Applicants who have practiced or taught for at least two (2) years BUT less than five (5) years must request the examination scores, a copy of the candidate handbook for the exam taken and any additional information requested by the Board be submitted directly from the examination agency." If you took your exam years ago, the handbook request can take follow-up with the agency.

One more condition applies to everyone using criteria: "Any accepted regional examination must never have been failed without subsequently retaking and passing." See years-of-practice rules for licensure by credentials for how Tennessee's tiers compare with other states'.

Which clinical exams does Tennessee recognize?

For licensure by examination, the instructions list SRTA, the Commission on Dental Competency Assessments (formerly NERB), CRDTS, WREB and CITA, and say "the ADEX examination is accepted." A CITA exam counts "if it was the ADEX examination that was administered." The Board's ADEX policy statement, adopted in 2012 and amended in 2014, explains that it found ADEX "closely aligned" to the SRTA examination. An exam applicant whose regional exam is more than five years old "may be required to appear before the Board for an interview" at its next regular meeting. See ADEX and which clinical exams each state accepts.

What goes into a Tennessee application?

The checklist in PH-3168 includes:

• A passport-size photo taken within the last 12 months, signed on the front and taped to the application.
• The application, pages 1 through 6, signed on page 6, with a $310 check or money order to the Board of Dentistry.
• An official transcript mailed directly from your dental school.
• A verification from every state where you are or have ever been licensed, certified, registered or permitted as a dentist "or any other profession," mailed directly to the Board.
• National Board scores, forwarded by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations if Tennessee did not receive them at graduation.
• Two original letters of recommendation from licensed dental professionals, on letterhead and with original signatures.
• A CPR card from a BLS Healthcare Provider course or equivalent, taught in person with a skills test on a manikin.
• Proof of US or Canadian citizenship or lawful presence.
• Explanations and final orders for any "yes" answer to the competency questions.
• A criminal background check.

Every submission "must be executed and dated less than one (1) year before receipt, or the documents will be rejected by the Board." That rule can catch applicants who gather letters and verifications early and then wait.

How long does Tennessee take, and what are the deadlines?

• Allow 14 working days for mailed items to reach your file. The Board says courier services will not shorten that.
• If your file is incomplete, the Board sends a deficiency letter, and the missing items must arrive "within sixty (60) days from the date of the initial deficiency letter. Files not completed within sixty (60) days will be closed."
• Plan on "a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks for processing," and do not set a start date until you have the license.
• After licensure, report any change of mailing address in writing within 30 days.

See why dental license applications take as long as they do.

Which other Tennessee credentials might you need?

Separate applications add a specialty certification, a limited conscious sedation permit, a comprehensive conscious sedation permit or a deep sedation/general anesthesia permit to your license, under Rules 0460-02-.06 and .07. Tennessee also offers a limited license for graduates of non-ADA-accredited programs who completed an ADA-accredited specialty program, a limited educational license for faculty, and dual-degree licensure for physicians licensed in Tennessee who hold an active dental license elsewhere. See dental sedation and anesthesia permits by state and faculty and restricted dental licenses.

Does compact membership help in Tennessee today?

Tennessee is one of 13 states that have enacted the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact. CSG says "compact privileges are not yet being issued," and no application or fee exists. Licensure by criteria is the route that works now. See why the dental compact is not issuing privileges yet.

How do we help with Tennessee?

Our Dentist License by Credentials service is $799 for Tennessee. We count your practice or teaching years against the five-year line, request scores and the candidate handbook from your exam agency if you are in the two-to-five-year tier, order verifications from every state where you have held any license, track the one-year age limit on every document, and give you a question-by-question guide. You sign the application, gather your two recommendation letters, pay the Board and mail it yourself. Sedation permits are $699 each, and specialty certification is a $499 add-on. Board fees are separate. See the Tennessee requirements page or begin with the $149 Dental Licensure Readiness Review.