If you are a dentist and you feel like the island life in Hawaii is begging you to move out of your city and get on the plane to the Aloha State, there are essential things you should know first about starting your dental practice or working as a dentist in Hawaii.
In Hawaii, everyone seeking to be a dentist must meet these requirements:
- At least 18 years of age
- A graduate from an accredited dental school. At present, there are 66 schools of Dentistry in 36 states as well as in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation. Unfortunately, there is no accredited dental school in Hawaii which awards Doctor of Dental Surgery or Doctor of Dental Medicine. A copy of your dental school diploma or certificate of graduation must be attached in your application.
- Pass the National Board Dental Examination Part I & II. The NBDE fulfills the written examination requirement which is one of the basic three requirements necessitated by all jurisdictions along with educational and clinical requirement. The dental examination aims to test the ability to understand and apply pertinent information from the biomedical and dental sciences.
- Pass the American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX) Dental Examination which consists of four required sections and an optional section. The four required sections include Computer-based Diagnostic Skills Examination, Manikin-based Endodontic Clinical Examination, Manikin-based Fixed Prosthodontic Clinical Examination, and Patient-based Restorative Clinical Examination. The optional section comprises Patient-based Periodontal Clinical Examination. All five sections (four required sections and one optional section) are required to be passed in Hawaii. The original verification of having passed the examination including the date passed must be sent directly to the Hawaii Board of Dental Examiners.
Aside from the above requirements, a person seeking to be a licensed dentist in Hawaii must be a US citizen, a US national, or an alien who is authorized to work in the United States and have a US Social Security Number.
Application for Licensure
Applicants must complete the fillable application form online or writing in legible print in dark ink. The application form must be signed.
All requirements required to be attached must be done so as an incomplete application may delay the processing of the application or be denied. Aside from the needed documentation, the appropriate amount of application fee must be attached. The amount must be made check payable in US dollars and from a US financial intuition to the Commerce & Consumer Affairs.
If the license is expected to be received in an even-numbered year, the fee is 448 US dollars. If the license is expected to be received in an odd-numbered year, the fee is 294 US dollars. All licenses are subjected for renewal on or before December 31 of each odd-numbered year.
Processing of Application
An application will take 15 to 20 business days to be processed to ensure the completeness of all fields and requirements. If no issue is found, a license may then be issued.
If you wish to follow up your application, you may do so by calling the Licensing Branch at (808) 586-3000.
Renewal of License
All licenses are subjected for renewal on or before December 31 of each odd-numbered year. You will be notified on the renewal about two months before December 31 of each odd-numbered year.
To be eligible for renewal, all licensed dentists must complete continuing education credit hours from an approved sponsor before the renewal period. If you initially received your license in the first year of the biennium (even-numbered year), you will be required to fulfill 16 CE credit hours. If you initially received your license in the second year of the biennium (odd-numbered year), you will not be required to fulfill any CE credit hours. All other licenses must complete 32 CE Credit hour and six hours of ethics training.
Failure to Renew the License
Licenses which are renewed by December 31 of each odd-numbered year will be forfeited and can only be restored after two years following the forfeiture. To restore your forfeited license, you are required to submit:
- A written application and payment of all applicable fees
- Evidence of practicing Dentistry for at least three years preceding the date of the written application
- Proof of completion of CE requirements
- A self-query report issued by the National Practitioner Data Bank
- A background check derived from an independent background check service accepted by the Board
If those requirements were unmet, the individual might be asked to reapply as a new applicant and take and pass the licensure examination.
If five years have passed and the license has not been restored, the individual will need to:
- Apply again as a new applicant
- Retake and pass the licensure examination
- Submit a self-query report from the National Practitioner Data Bank
- Submit a background check from an independent background check service approved by the Board.
General Anesthesia Authorization
A separate application, requirements, and fee are needed to administer deep sedation, general anesthesia, or moderate sedation.
If you want to have a permit to administer deep sedation, general anesthesia, or moderate sedation, you, a licensed dentist, must:
- Apply to the Board
- Pay the appropriate amount of application fee
- Submit the needed documentary evidence to show that educational and training requirements, per Chapter 16-79, Subchapter 8 Anesthesia, Hawaii Administrative Rules.
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