Virginia Dental License

Can a dentist licensed elsewhere get a Virginia license by credentials?

Licensure by credentials requires all parts of the National Board exam, a clinical competency exam acceptable to the board, a current unrestricted license, and good standing certified by every state where a license is or was held. Residency, internship and public health volunteer care can count toward the practice years.

• Licensure by credentials available
• Practice required: 5 of the last 6 years, at least 600 hours a year

Citation: 18VAC60-21-210(B)

Which clinical exams does Virginia accept?

ADEX lists Virginia as accepting its dental exam. A clinical exam passed five or more years before applying may have to be retaken unless the applicant shows 48 of the past 60 months of practice.

• ADEX accepted

Does Virginia require a jurisprudence exam?

The board's licensure rules list a transcript, National Board results and a current NPDB report. No Virginia law exam appears among them.

• No jurisprudence exam

Is Virginia in the dental compact?

Virginia has enacted the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact (2024), but no state issues compact privileges yet. Practicing here takes a Virginia license.

• Compact enacted, not issuing

Does Virginia require a sedation permit?

Moderate sedation and deep sedation/general anesthesia each need a board permit, and the office must be inspected before the permit issues. An inspection and permit are required for every location where sedation is given. Permits renew annually.

• Separate sedation permit

Does Virginia issue specialty licenses?

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons register with the board and keep a practitioner profile, and certain cosmetic procedures need separate board certification.

What hygienists need to know in Virginia

Hygienists qualify by credentials with 24 of the past 48 months of clinical practice and a clinical exam equivalent to Virginia's. To give local anesthesia (adults only) or nitrous oxide, a hygienist completes a CODA-accredited certification course; the rules set no separate board permit.

• Hygienist licensure by credentials

Do dental assistants need a Virginia registration?

Virginia registers Dental Assistants II for expanded restorative and prosthetic duties. Registration by endorsement takes current DANB CDA certification, expanded-duty authorization elsewhere and equivalent training or 24 of the past 48 months of those duties.

• Assistant or EFDA registration

Does Virginia offer a temporary or restricted dental license?

Virginia offers a temporary permit for state agency and charitable clinics, faculty licenses, temporary licenses for residents, a restricted volunteer license, and registration for out-of-state dentists volunteering with a nonprofit.

• Temporary or restricted license available

How often does a Virginia dental license renew?

Dentist licenses and sedation permits renew every year in the birth month. Dentists complete 15 CE hours per renewal and keep current CPR or BLS training. Hygienists also renew annually with 15 hours.

• Renews every year
• 15 CE hours per cycle