Verified October 9, 2026 against the practice act, board rules and sources cited below. The board decides every application. All states
What dentists miss in Delaware
- Even a dentist with decades of practice elsewhere must sit the Delaware practical exam, offered only twice a year to 18 candidates.
- Applications are verified by oath, and all licensees are fingerprinted by the State Bureau of Identification.
- Anesthesia permits cannot be renewed until the dental license itself is renewed.
Can a dentist licensed elsewhere get a Delaware license by credentials?
Delaware has a section for dentists licensed elsewhere, with three years of active practice, but it still requires the Delaware practical exam and the jurisprudence exam. The board says every dentist applicant, regardless of years in practice, must pass both, so there is no exam-free route for dentists.
- No credentials route: full application
Citation: 24 Del. C. §§ 1122, 1124
Which clinical exams does Delaware accept?
Delaware gives its own practical exam, twice a year in January and June, limited to 18 candidates each time. ADEX lists Delaware as not accepting the ADEX dental or dental hygiene exam for initial licensure. New dentists also need a year of CODA general practice residency or an approved specialty residency.
- ADEX not accepted for initial licensure
Does Delaware require a jurisprudence exam?
The Delaware Jurisprudence Examination is an open-book, multiple-choice test on the license law and board rules: 30 questions for dentists, 20 for hygienists. It must be passed before a license is issued.
- Jurisprudence or law exam
Is Delaware in the dental compact?
A dental compact bill is pending in Delaware, but it is not a member.
- Compact bill pending
Does Delaware require a sedation permit?
The board issues three anesthesia permits: Restricted Permit I (conscious sedation by parenteral, enteral or rectal routes and nitrous oxide at a specific location), Restricted Permit II, and an Unrestricted Permit. Deep sedation and general anesthesia are outside Restricted Permit I and carry stricter training rules.
- Separate sedation permit
What hygienists need to know in Delaware
A hygienist with a current license elsewhere and three of the last five years in practice can apply by reciprocity and needs only the jurisprudence exam. Regulations letting hygienists give local anesthesia, under a dentist's direct supervision, took effect March 1, 2026.
- Hygienist licensure by credentials
Does Delaware require fingerprints?
- Fingerprint background check
Does Delaware offer a temporary or restricted dental license?
A Dentist-Community Health license lets dentists contracted with a Delaware FQHC or government-operated dental clinic practice there. Dental residents receive a limited license tied to their institution, and out-of-state licensees can register for interstate telehealth.
- Temporary or restricted license available
How often does a Delaware dental license renew?
Dentist and hygienist licenses expire May 31 of even years. Active dentists complete 50 hours of approved continuing education per period and hygienists 24, with at least two hours on infection control, plus current CPR. First-period hours are prorated.
- Renews every 2 years
- 50 CE hours per cycle
Licensing in Delaware?
Delaware has no exam-free credentials route, so a dentist licensed elsewhere goes through the full application. For a license, we prepare every supporting document and a question-by-question guide, request your verifications, and track it to a decision; you complete, sign and submit the application. License by credentials is $799 per state.