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Arkansas Dental Hygiene — Requirements & Free Practice

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License to Practice Dental Hygiene

Arkansas license to practice dental hygiene issued by the Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners under the Arkansas Dental Practice Act.

Licensing authority: Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners · Application information

Biennial license renewal (Ark. Code Ann. § 17 82 310)
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Continuing Education
Continuing education required of Arkansas licensees under 17 CAR Part 115, Subpart 14 (Minimum Continuing Education for Dentists and Dental Hygienists).
Forfeiture
Failure to renew within thirty days after January 1 of even-numbered years results in forfeiture of the license (Ark. Code Ann. § 17-82-311).
Renewal Cycle
The license must be renewed with the Board on January 1 of even-numbered years on Board forms, with the renewal fee (Ark. Code Ann. § 17-82-310(a)).

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2025-01-01.

Licensure by credentials (Ark. Code Ann. § 17 82 308; 17 CAR § 115 902)

All of the following:

Clinical Examination Open Set
Proof of passing a clinical examination for licensure, with results sent directly by the state or regional testing agency that administered it (17 CAR § 115-902(a)(12)). Another state's own clinical examination, or any other clinical examination not listed as an alternative, is accepted only as the Board determines.
Continuing Education
Continuing education credits at least equal to those required of Arkansas licensees for the previous two-year period, with the last two years' history submitted (17 CAR § 115-902(a)(8), (13)).
Discontinued Clinical Examinations
The credentials application also lists SRTA, which merged with CRDTS; from 2026 CRDTS+SRTA administers the CRDTS examinations. A passing score on the former SRTA examination is prior evidence the Board may accept.
Education
Graduate of a school accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, with an official sealed transcript sent directly by the school (17 CAR § 115-902(a)(1), (3)).
Intent To Practice
Signed letter of intention to practice in Arkansas within one year of receiving the license (17 CAR § 115-902(a)(9)).
Jurisprudence Examination
Pass the Arkansas Jurisprudence Examination with a score of 75% as administered by the Board; the applicant presents before the Board at a designated time and place for the jurisprudence examination and a personal interview (17 CAR § 115-902(a)(10), (c)).
Letters Of Recommendation
Letters from two licensed dentists practicing in the same locale as the applicant, attesting to moral character, standing and ability (17 CAR § 115-902(a)(7)).
National Board Evidence
The National Board Exam Card reflecting passage of the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination must be sent by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations; photocopies are not accepted (17 CAR § 115-902(a)(5)).
Other Documents
Comprehensive resume on Board forms, current healthcare provider-level CPR certificate, application fee, physician's statement, and criminal background check authorization (17 CAR § 115-902(a)(6), (8), (11); Board page; application form).
Other State Verification
Verification forms from every state where licensed, whether current or not, sent directly by those state boards (17 CAR § 115-902(a)(4)).
Personal Interview
Personal interview before the Board at a regularly scheduled meeting; the Board approves or denies the application (17 CAR § 115-902(c)-(d); Board page).
Practice History
Currently licensed in the state from which the applicant applies and practiced continuously for five years immediately prior to applying; postgraduate dental-related education during those five years may count (17 CAR § 115-902(a)(1); Ark. Code Ann. § 17-82-308(a)). The prior license must have been issued by a state, territory, the District of Columbia or Canada whose standard of proficiency at least equals Arkansas's (§ 17-82-308(a)).
Statutory Examination Exemption
Ark. Code Ann. § 17-82-308(a) lets a credentials applicant apply 'without undergoing the examination required for licensing provided for in §§ 17-82-304-17-82-306', and § 17-82-308(c) leaves issuance to the Board's discretion on satisfactory proof of fitness. The Board's rule adopted under § 17-82-308 (17 CAR § 115-902) requires proof of having passed the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and a clinical examination for licensure, and requires passing the Arkansas Jurisprudence Examination; these are mounted as the route's examinations.
Licensure by examination (Ark. Code Ann. § 17 82 306; 17 CAR § 115 802)

All of the following:

Applicant Status
For applicants who have been licensed and practicing for less than five years (Board page, Licensure by Examination); applicants with five or more years of continuous licensed practice use licensure by credentials.
Application Forms
Board application with a photograph taken within the last six months, the application fee, a physician's statement of examination, and other forms requested by the Board (17 CAR § 115-802(1), (6); application form).
Clinical Examination Open Set
17 CAR § 115-802(5)(A) accepts a clinical examination administered by the Board or any regional testing agency whose examination the Board accepts for initial licensure of dental hygienists; satisfactory completion means a minimum of 75% on each segment (§ 115-802(5)(B)). Clinical examinations not listed as alternatives are accepted only to the extent the Board accepts them.
Clinical Examination Patient Based
The Board page states: 'Note: A clinical patient-based component of the examination must be administered by the testing agency and successfully completed by the candidate in order to be accepted.' A simulated-patient (manikin) examination alone may therefore not be accepted by the Board.
Clinical Examination Score Age
For licensure by examination, clinical examination scores are good for five years from the date of successful passage (Board page).
Cpr Certification
Current Basic Life Support / Healthcare Provider level CPR certification; online CPR is not accepted (17 CAR § 115-802(7); Board page).
Criminal Background Check
Authorization for a complete criminal background check (Board page; Ark. Code Ann. § 17-82-801 et seq.).
Discontinued Clinical Examinations
The Board page also names SRTA, WREB, CDCA and CITA. SRTA merged with CRDTS and from 2026 CRDTS+SRTA administers the CRDTS examinations; WREB and CITA joined CDCA-WREB-CITA, which delivered only ADEX examinations and merged into the American Board of Dental Examiners on September 1, 2025. A passing score on the former SRTA or WREB examinations is prior evidence the Board may accept.
Education
Graduate of a dental hygiene program approved by the Board and accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation, with a sealed final transcript reflecting the degree sent directly by the school (17 CAR § 115-802(2)-(3)).
Jurisprudence Examination
The Arkansas Jurisprudence Examination is an open-book examination emailed to the applicant upon receipt of the dental hygiene license application and fee (Board page).
National Board Passing Standard
Successful completion of the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination means a minimum of 75% on each segment; results must be sent directly by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (17 CAR § 115-802(4)).
Other State Verification
Official verification from every state where licensed, sent directly by those state boards (Board page).
Relicensing after forfeiture for non renewal, before January 1 of the following year (Ark. Code Ann. § 17 82 312(a))
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Conduct Proof
Proof the Board may require that the applicant has conducted himself or herself in an ethical and proper fashion and complied with the Board regulations and the Dental Practice Act since the renewal date (Ark. Code Ann. § 17-82-312(a)(3)).
Fees
Payment of all accrued renewal fees plus an additional penalty of $200 (Ark. Code Ann. § 17-82-312(a)(2)).
Timing
Available to a hygienist whose license was forfeited under Ark. Code Ann. § 17-82-311, at any time until January 1 of the year following the forfeiture.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2025-01-01.

ADEX Dental Hygiene Computer Simulated Clinical Examination (CSCE OSCE)

Provider
American Board of Dental Examiners; Prometric delivery
Format
Computer-based clinically based questions
Exam questions
Up to 120 items; pilot questions do not affect the final score
Passing score
Minimum scaled score 75; results reported as Pass/Fail
Examination outline
  • Medical/Dental Assessment (12%)
  • Intra and Extra Oral Assessment and Charting (27%)
    • Intra and Extra Oral Examination
    • Dental and Periodontal Charting and Assessment
    • Soft Tissue, Bone, and Tooth Abnormalities
  • Radiology/Imaging (15%)
  • Dental Hygiene Care Planning (13%)
  • Patient Care (19%)
    • Periodontal Procedures
    • Infection Control
    • Medical Emergency Management
  • Dental Specialties and Pharmacology (14%)
    • Dental Specialties
    • Applied Pharmacology
Examination sources

ADEX Dental Hygiene Simulated Patient Treatment Clinical Examination (SPTCE)

This assessment does not have a question bank.

Provider
American Board of Dental Examiners
Format
Simulated patient treatment on maxillary and mandibular typodonts
Passing score
75 or greater; results reported as Pass/Fail for this part
Examination sources

Arkansas Jurisprudence Examination (Dental Hygiene)

Provider
Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners
Format
Open-book examination; for licensure by examination it is emailed to the applicant upon receipt of the application and fee
Passing score
75% (17 CAR § 115-902(a)(10))
Examination outline
  • Arkansas Dental Practice Act (Ark. Code Ann. Title 17, Chapter 82)
  • Dental Corporation Act (Ark. Code Ann. §§ 4-29-401 to 4-29-411)
  • Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners Rules (17 CAR Part 115)
Examination sources

CRDTS Dental Hygiene Patient-Based Exam

This assessment does not have a question bank.

Examination sources

CRDTS Dental Hygiene Simulated Patient Exam

Examination outline
  • Extra/Intra Oral Assessment OSCE — 16 scorable items, 1 point each, 16 maximum points
    • Identify gross head and neck anatomy, variations of normal anatomy, palpation techniques used to examine head and neck extraoral and intraoral structures, and atypical or abnormal findings, whether pathologic or non-pathologic
    • Extraoral — Head, Face, and Neck: asymmetry, infected piercings, swellings, lesions
    • Extraoral — Lymph Nodes, TMJ: description of location, restricted opening
    • Intraoral — Oral Mucosa/Lips and Supporting Structures: lesions, chemical/physical irritations, tattoos, swellings, hematomas, nodules
    • Intraoral — Alveolar Ridge: lesions, chemical/physical irritations, exostosis, torus/tori, tattoos, swellings, hematomas, nodules
    • Intraoral — Palate and Oral Pharynx (tonsils and tonsillar pillars): torus, lesions, chemical/physical irritation, other significant findings
    • Intraoral — Tongue: hairy tongue, fissured tongue, loss of papilla, geographic tongue, glossitis, nodules, lesions
    • Intraoral — Floor of the Mouth: ankyloglossia, hematomas, lesions, tattoos, other significant findings
  • Calculus Detection — 12 scorable surfaces, 1 point each, 12 maximum points
    • Explore 12 random assigned surfaces on the maxillary arch and accurately record presence (Y/Yes) or absence (N/No) of calculus on each surface
    • The maxillary arch is for calculus detection only, not scaling; deposits detected on a line angle are marked on the closest interproximal surface
  • Scaling/Subgingival Calculus Removal — 12 scorable surfaces, 5 points each, 60 maximum points
    • Candidate selects the right or left mandibular quadrant during the initial online application; examiners evaluate 12 surfaces in the selected quadrant
    • Because evaluated surfaces are unknown, explore all subgingival surfaces in the selected quadrant and remove subgingival calculus so no deposits are detectable with an 11/12 explorer; detectable subgingival calculus is a scaling error
    • Supragingival deposit/stain removal is not part of this examination, so rubber cup polishing is not needed or required
  • Periodontal Probing — 12 scorable measurements, 1 point each, 12 maximum points
    • On two randomly assigned teeth in the selected treatment quadrant, chart simulated gingival sulcus/pocket depths within ±1 mm to the nearest mm on six aspects of each tooth: MF, F-midpoint, DF, ML, L-midpoint, and DL
    • Record periodontal measurements after scaling; direct facial and lingual readings are at tooth midpoint with probe parallel to root surface and long axis; interproximal readings place the shank against the contact point and tip slightly into the col; if no contact, place at proximal midpoint and record the same facial and lingual measurement; use light pressure to position the tip to sulcus depth
Examination sources

National Board Dental Hygiene Examination

Examination outline
  • Discipline-Based Component — Scientific Basis for Dental Hygiene Practice (61 items)
    • Anatomic Sciences
    • Anatomic Sciences — Anatomy
    • Anatomic Sciences — Anatomy — Head and neck anatomy
    • Anatomic Sciences — Anatomy — Dental anatomy
    • Anatomic Sciences — Anatomy — Dental anatomy — General anatomy
    • Anatomic Sciences — Anatomy — Dental anatomy — Root anatomy
    • Anatomic Sciences — Anatomy — Histology and Embryology
    • Anatomic Sciences — Physiology
    • Anatomic Sciences — Biochemistry and Nutrition
    • Anatomic Sciences — Microbiology and Immunology
    • Anatomic Sciences — Pathology
    • Anatomic Sciences — Pathology — General
    • Anatomic Sciences — Pathology — Oral
    • Anatomic Sciences — Pharmacology
  • Discipline-Based Component — Provision of Clinical Dental Hygiene Services (115 items)
    • Assessing Patient Characteristics
    • Assessing Patient Characteristics — Medical and dental history
    • Assessing Patient Characteristics — Head and neck examination
    • Assessing Patient Characteristics — Periodontal evaluation
    • Assessing Patient Characteristics — Oral evaluation
    • Assessing Patient Characteristics — General
    • Obtaining and Interpreting Radiographs
    • Obtaining and Interpreting Radiographs — Principles of radiophysics and radiobiology
    • Obtaining and Interpreting Radiographs — Principles of radiologic health
    • Obtaining and Interpreting Radiographs — Technique
    • Obtaining and Interpreting Radiographs — Recognition of normalities and abnormalities
    • Obtaining and Interpreting Radiographs — General
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Infection control (application)
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Recognition of emergency situations and provision of appropriate care
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Individualized patient education
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Individualized patient education — Planning of individualized instruction
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Individualized patient education — Provision of instruction for prevention and management of oral diseases
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Individualized patient education — Provision of instruction for prevention and management of oral diseases — Dental caries
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Individualized patient education — Provision of instruction for prevention and management of oral diseases — Periodontal disease
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Individualized patient education — Provision of instruction for prevention and management of oral diseases — Oral conditions
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Individualized patient education — Anxiety and pain control
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Individualized patient education — Recognition and management of compromised patients
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Individualized patient education — Dental hygiene treatment strategies
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Individualized patient education — Dental hygiene treatment strategies — Diagnosis
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Individualized patient education — Dental hygiene treatment strategies — Treatment plan
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Individualized patient education — Dental hygiene treatment strategies — Case presentation
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Individualized patient education — General
    • Performing Periodontal Procedures
    • Performing Periodontal Procedures — Etiology and pathogenesis of periodontal diseases
    • Performing Periodontal Procedures — Prescribed therapy
    • Performing Periodontal Procedures — Prescribed therapy — Periodontal debridement
    • Performing Periodontal Procedures — Prescribed therapy — Surgical support services
    • Performing Periodontal Procedures — Prescribed therapy — Chemotherapeutic agents
    • Performing Periodontal Procedures — Prescribed therapy — General
    • Performing Periodontal Procedures — Reassessment and maintenance (e.g., implant care)
    • Using Preventive Agents
    • Using Preventive Agents — Fluorides - systemic and topical
    • Using Preventive Agents — Fluorides - systemic and topical — Mechanisms of action
    • Using Preventive Agents — Fluorides - systemic and topical — Toxicology
    • Using Preventive Agents — Fluorides - systemic and topical — Methods of administration
    • Using Preventive Agents — Fluorides - systemic and topical — Methods of administration — Water fluoridation
    • Using Preventive Agents — Fluorides - systemic and topical — Methods of administration — Self-administered
    • Using Preventive Agents — Pit and fissure sealants
    • Using Preventive Agents — Other preventive agents
    • Providing Supportive Treatment Services
    • Providing Supportive Treatment Services — Properties and manipulation of materials
    • Providing Supportive Treatment Services — Polishing natural and restored teeth
    • Providing Supportive Treatment Services — Making of impressions and preparation of study casts
    • Providing Supportive Treatment Services — Other supportive services (e.g., tooth desensitization)
    • Providing Supportive Treatment Services — General
    • Professional Responsibility
    • Professional Responsibility — Ethical principles, including informed consent
    • Professional Responsibility — Regulatory compliance
    • Professional Responsibility — Patient and professional communication
    • Professional Responsibility — General
  • Discipline-Based Component — Community Health/Research Principles (24 items)
    • Promoting Health and Preventing Disease Within Groups
    • Participating in Community Programs
    • Participating in Community Programs — Assessing populations and defining objectives
    • Participating in Community Programs — Designing, implementing, and evaluating programs
    • Analyzing Scientific Literature, Understanding Statistical Concepts, and Applying Research Results
  • Case-Based Component (150 items involving 12 to 15 dental hygiene patient cases)
    • Cases present information dealing with adult and child patients and may involve geriatric, adult-periodontal, pediatric, special needs, medically compromised, and other patient types; a medically compromised patient is one whose health status may require modification of standard treatment or special consideration.
    • Patient information is presented by means of patient histories, dental charts, radiographs, and clinical photographs.
    • Assessing patient characteristics
    • Obtaining and interpreting radiographs
    • Planning and managing dental hygiene care
    • Performing periodontal procedures
    • Using preventive agents
    • Providing supportive treatment service
    • Professional responsibility
Examination sources