Frequently Asked Questions
General FAQs
What is a licensure compact?
An interstate compact is a legal agreement among participating states that allows them to work closely together to address issues of mutual concern that cross state borders. Hundreds of compacts exist in the United States and they have helped states address everything from shared water use to transportation issues. Not all compacts serve the same needs or have the same requirements.
The AADB Dental and Dental Hygiene Licensure Compact allows states to work together to significantly streamline the licensing process for dentists and dental hygienists who wish to practice in multiple states.
Does the membership of the American Dental Association (ADA) support this compact?
No. Membership of the ADA has not endorsed any compact at this time. While a compact creation agency, the Council of State Governments, partnered with the ADA to craft a compact for licensure, when presented, the ADA membership did not endorse it.
The ADA House of Delegates, the representative governing body of the organization, voted at its October 2023 meeting to refer a Resolution that would support the CSG Dental and Dental Hygiene Licensure Compact to a committee for further review.
How does the Interstate Dental and Dental Hygiene Licensure Compact work?
Eligible dentists and dental hygienists can qualify to practice dentistry in multiple states by completing one application within the Compact and receiving separate licenses from each state in which they intend to practice.
These licenses are issued by the individual states – just as they would be using the standard licensing process – but because the application for licensure in these states is routed through the Compact, the overall process of gaining a license is significantly streamlined. Dentists and dental hygienists receive their licenses much faster and with fewer burdens.
The licensing is all state-based. The Commission does not issue a “Compact license” or a nationally recognized license for dentists and dental hygienists.
Only states and territories joining the Compact can participate in this streamlined licensure process. States and territories must pass legislation authorizing their institutions to participate in the Compact.
How does the Interstate Dental and Dental Hygiene Licensure Compact streamline licensure?
States that participate in the Compact can streamline licensure by sharing information via the AADB Licensure Repository with each other that was previously submitted in independent applications.
Applicants first designate a state as a Home State, then, request a letter from the board stating they are eligible for compact license privileges.
This Letter of Qualification verifies that they meet the Compact’s strict eligibility requirements. The home state shares this information with additional states by approving the candidate in the Compact database.
Subsequent applications to other member states need only note the letter of qualification the dentist or dental hygienist has already obtained from their home state.
Is the Interstate Dental and Dental Hygiene Licensure Compact patterned after the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC)?
Yes, it is.
Like the Interstate Medical Licensure (IMLC), the Interstate Dental and Dental Hygiene Licensure Compact developed by the American Association of Dental Boards, AADB, employs an expedited licensure model. Compact participants are required to be licensed in every state where they practice through the use of a uniform set of requirements. They must provide documentation that they have met all established parameters for participation. This model allows every jurisdiction the ability to function within its practice act and maintain its ability to directly monitor its licensees.
The practice of dentistry by compact privilege endangers the public when regulatory agencies do not issue licenses to participants vetted to a universal standard. The AADB compact also preserves a state of residence that the physicians and nursing compacts require. The CSG compact does not require a license to be issued in a state of residence.
What are the eligibility requirements to participate in the Compact?
The first requirement for dentists and dental hygienists to participate in the Compact is to hold a full, unrestricted license in a Compact member-state that can serve as a declared Home State. To designate a state as a Home State, dentists and dental hygienists must ensure that at least ONE of the following apply:
The home state is the state of primary residence for the dentist or dental hygienist, where 25% of their practice is within one year.
An active-duty military member or their spouse may choose a home state as designated by the military but are not required to meet the 25% practice within the home state requirement.
The dentist or dental hygienist uses the Home State as his or her state of residence for U.S. Federal Income Tax purposes.
Dentists and dental hygienists must maintain their Home State license at all times. Dentists and dental hygienists may change the location of their Home State — through a process known as “redesignation” – after they receive a Letter of Qualification to participate in the Compact.
In addition to designating a Home State, dentists and dental hygienists must have:
· Successfully graduated from a dental school accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).
· Successfully passed the licensure examination administered by the American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX), or be in practice 5 years having passed a regional licensing examination.
· Successfully passed the written National Dental Board Exam administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations
In addition, applicants shall also:
· Possess a full and unrestricted dental license issued by a Member State Dental Board of the compact (their “Home State).
· Never have been convicted, received adjudication, deferred adjudication, community supervision, or deferred disposition for any offense by a court of appropriate jurisdiction.
· Never have been a subject of discipline by a board as determined by the AADB Compact bylaws and rules, through any adverse action, order or other restriction of the licensee by the board with the exception of failure to pay fees or failure to complete continuing education.
· Never had a state or federal drug registration, permit, or license, restricted, suspended, or revoked by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration or any State Board that oversees scheduled drug registrations.
· Cannot be currently under active investigation by a licensing agency or law enforcement authority in any state, federal, or foreign jurisdiction.
Each dentist or dental hygienist is responsible for making a self-determination of eligibility prior to applying to participate in the Compact.
Why are persons with convictions and board actions not eligible to participate in the Interstate Dental and Dental Hygiene Licensure Compact?
To establish a uniform license requirement, representatives of AADB’s member states considered all aspects of documentation & credentials to issue licenses. Where standards vary among jurisdictions, the highest common denominator prevails, in this case, with regard to criminal and board-related discipline and sanctions.
Participation in the AADB Dental and Dental Hygiene Licensure Compact is voluntary and not required for single-state licensure and, therefore, is limited to those who have not been convicted or received adjudication, deferred adjudication, community supervision, or deferred disposition for any offense by a court of appropriate jurisdiction. Participants must also have never been a subject of discipline by a board as determined by the AADB Compact Commission bylaws and rules through any adverse action, order, or other restriction of the licensee by the board, except for failure to pay fees or failure to complete continuing education. The Compact will also not allow persons with a state or federal drug registration, permit, or license restricted, suspended, or revoked by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration or any State Board that oversees scheduled drug registrations to participate. Anyone currently under active investigation by a licensing agency or law enforcement authority in any state, federal, or foreign jurisdiction will also not be eligible to participate. This does not eliminate the possibility of states granting a license to those individuals if they so choose. Most boards require an individual review of applicants with prior discipline and/or a criminal history. Compact privilege for these persons would be inappropriate and an overstep in the authority of the Compact Commission as it respects boards and their practice acts.
What is the AADB Licensure Repository?
The AADB Licensure Repository is the centralized database Member States can use to determine the eligibility of a dentist seeking the streamlined process. It houses documentation of dentists seeking licensure in Compact states and aids Member States’ sharing of pertinent information.
For Dental Professionals
The Compact treats all dentists and dental hygienists equally without preference for specialty. Any dentist or dental hygienist from a Compact state who meets the qualifications of the Compact is eligible for licensure in any other Compact state and is responsible for obeying all statutory laws and administrative rules of the state.
No.
Participation in the Compact and use of the AADB Repository is completely at will. The American Association of Dental Boards Dental and Dental Hygiene Compact offers a voluntary, expedited pathway to licensure for qualified dentists and dental hygienists who wish to practice in multiple states. The compact significantly streamlines the licensing process.
Applying for licensure through the compact eliminates the need to manage multiple applications — including the time and expense of communicating with more than one state medical board.
If you are an eligible dentist or dental hygienist, you can qualify to practice across state lines, or in multiple Compact states if you meet the Compact’s eligibility requirements.
Licenses are still issued by the individual states – just as they would be using the standard licensing process – but because the application for licensure in these states is routed through the Compact, the overall process of gaining a license is significantly streamlined. Dentists and dental hygienists receive their licenses much faster and with fewer barriers.
Once a license is issued, the dentist or dental hygienist comes under the jurisdiction of the licensing state’s statutes, practice acts, rules, and Board regulations.
The AADB Dental and Dental Hygiene Licensure Compact establishes a standard to ensure that all participants nationwide meet an agreed-upon set of qualifications. Therefore, not all licensed dental health professionals will qualify to participate in the compact. The self-determination of eligibility is your opportunity to review and fully consider all requirements before beginning the official application process.
Use these criteria to self-qualify:
Dentists and dental hygienists must maintain their Home State license at all times. Dentists and dental hygienists may change the location of their Home State — through a process known as “redesignation” – after they receive a Letter of Qualification to participate in the Compact.
In addition to designating a Home State, dentists and dental hygienists must have:
· Successfully graduated from a dental school accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).
· Successfully passed the licensure examination administered by the American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX), or be in practice 5 years having passed a regional licensing examination.
· Successfully passed the written National Dental Board Exam administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations
In addition, applicants shall also:
· Possess a full and unrestricted dental license issued by a Member State Dental Board of the compact (their “Home State).
· Never have been convicted, received adjudication, deferred adjudication, community supervision, or deferred disposition for any offense by a court of appropriate jurisdiction.
· Never have been a subject of discipline by a board as determined by the AADB Compact bylaws and rules, through any adverse action, order or other restriction of the licensee by the board with the exception of failure to pay fees or failure to complete continuing education.
· Never had a state or federal drug registration, permit, or license, restricted, suspended, or revoked by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration or any State Board that oversees scheduled drug registrations.
· Cannot be currently under active investigation by a licensing agency or law enforcement authority in any state, federal, or foreign jurisdiction.
In order to establish eligibility, a dentist or dental hygienist must have successfully completed a CODA-accredited dental education.
Generally, this means that the dental or dental hygiene degree was completed at a CODA-accredited institution located in the United States or its territories. There are CODA-accredited programs outside of the United States, but that must be confirmed with your program prior to applying to use the compact process. Additionally, confirm that the program was accredited at the time you were in attendance
.
Although many Canadian programs are accepted by many member boards and qualify for board certification or jurisdictional licenses unless they are CODA-accredited, they do not qualify for participation in the Compact.
Once the Compact becomes active, and your state of residence (Home State) has become a participating Member State, your first step is to request a Letter of Qualification from your Home State. Submit the Letter of Qualification with your application to practice in another compact member state.
The AADB Licensure Repository Portal will allow you to house your documentation and submit subsequent applications. It will become available once the Compact becomes active.
Be sure to confirm your eligibility before applying, as the application fee is non-refundable.
After issuing a license to a dentist or dental hygienist holding a letter of qualification, the subsequent issuing board may ask for additional, ancillary information to fulfill the requirements of their respective practice act and operational requirements. Be sure to honor these requests, failure to do so may result in action against the license by the issuing board. Examples of additional possible requirements include passing a jurisprudence examination, completing an online profile, documenting legal authorization to work in the US, etc.
CAUTION – If you have previously held a license in a state and that license has lapsed or expired, contact the state licensing board before proceeding. You may be required to go through that state licensing board’s reinstatement process instead of applying through the AADB Dental and Dental Hygienist Licensure Compact.
Dentists and dental hygienists who apply but do not meet the requirements of the Compact may not participate and are notified via email and/or US mail by their Home State. Dentists and dental hygienists who are deemed ineligible and have questions should contact their Home State. Home States are directly responsible for applying uniform standards for licensure as defined by the Compact and as accepted by all Member States.
The Letter of Qualification (LoQ) is valid for 365 days from its date of issuance. There are no waivers of this time limit. A dentist or dental hygienist who has been issued a LoQ by a Compact Member State may apply for a new LoQ after 365 days from issuance of the initial LoQ.
At any time during the one-year period when a Letter of Qualification is valid, a dentist or dental hygienist can return to this website and request additional Compact member states for licensure. The applicant will be required to pay licensure fees for each of the states chosen, plus a fee for requesting additional state licensure – in addition to the state’s licensing fee. The AADB Dental and Dental Hygiene Licensure Commission then notifies the new states that the dentist or dental hygienist is eligible for licensure. The license issuance process is the same as for initial state selections.
If the LoQ expires, the dentist or dental hygienist must reapply and pay a new application fee. If a license is requested for an additional state(s) during that year, the application fee plus the state application fee is due.
For Jurisdictions: Boards & Legislatures
Coordination through a compact is not the same as superseding state authority. The Compact does not change in any way a state’s Dental Practice Act or a state’s full authority in administering its duties of oversight. The Compact simply creates another pathway for licensure.
The mission of the Compact is to allow for expedited licensure portability and ease of movement between states for professionals while allowing states to regulate the practice of dentistry and dental hygiene with sovereignty. To ensure participants are equally qualified to practice the Compact utilizes a uniform licensure examination that requires the testing of psychomotor and cognitive dental skills.
Practitioners receive separate licenses from each state in which they intend to practice. Boards may request supplemental information as required in their jurisdiction before issuing a license.
Dentists and dental hygienists do not receive a “Compact license” or a nationally recognized dental license through their participation in the Compact. Instead, they receive a Compact Licensure Privilege and licenses are issued by the individual states – just as they would be using the standard licensing process – but because the application for licensure in these states is routed through the Compact, the overall process of gaining a license through this Compact Privilege is significantly streamlined. Requirements that are true for every state do not need to be rechecked for each application, saving time, money and effort.
Dentists and dental hygienists receive their licenses much faster and with fewer burdens.
To participate in the Compact, the state’s or territory’s legislature must introduce a bill and enact a law authorizing the state to join. The language of the compact must be consistent in each state that joins.
States participating in the Compact make an affirmative and informed choice to accept the Compact’s terms – made possible by the formal legislation adopted and signed into law.
The Compact is an agreement among sovereign states, with the AADB Compact Commission serving as an independent coordinating organization that administers the Compact on the states’ behalf. The Commission is made up of two (2) representatives from each participating Compact state.
It is important to note that while the Commission oversees the work of coordinating multi-state licensing activity within the Compact, it does not issue licenses. Licenses are issued by the states that participate in the Compact, not the Commission.
Each participating Compact state sends two representatives to the Commission. These commissioners must be either a dentist or dental hygienist member of a licensing board, a public member of such a board, or an executive director or administrator of such a board. If a state has only one dental board, then both commissioners must come from that board. But if it has two boards — a dental board and a dental hygiene board — then each board gets one seat.
The Commission is the sole entity administering the Compact’s bylaws, rules, policies, and advisory opinions. No other governmental agency or private entity has control over how the Compact is administered.
The Commission is governed by the terms of the Compact, which provides the authority for the Commission to create bylaws, rules, and policies for self-governance. Commissioners must function within the terms and limitations of the Compact and the bylaws, rules, and policies the Commission approves.
Jurisdictions that choose to participate and become Compact Member States do not incur costs for any administrative, membership, or participatory fees of any kind.
All costs associated with the AADB Dental and Dental Hygiene Licensure Compact are the responsibility of the professionals who wish to have compact privileges.
Member jurisdictions are the backbone of the Commission that administers the Compact. Each jurisdiction will designate two persons to participate in the Commission and in its regulatory actions.
The Home State conducts the primary-source verification and background check of dentists and dental hygienists interested in participating in the Compact. After a dentist or dental hygienist has been approved for licensure with a Letter of Qualification (LOQ) from the Home State and selects states in which he or she wishes to be licensed, those “licensing states” – all of which must be participants in the Compact — receive notification. When a Compact member state receives a request for an LOQ from a dentist or dental hygienist seeking licensure, the state is expected to process the LOQ and issue the license promptly. It must also report the issuance of the LoQ to the Commission.
The Interstate Dental & Dental Hygiene
Licensure Compact by AADB
The Interstate Dental and Dental Hygiene Licensure Compact requires legislation to be passed
to become active. Five jurisdictions must approve legislation for activation.
Click to read the legislation or get involved today!