OpenExamsFREE PRACTICE — ANY EXAM

Louisiana Dental Hygiene — Requirements & Free Practice

US-LA · License preparation

403 free questions · Answer explanations · No signup required

Choose what to practice

Start with an exam below. Your examination requirements depend on your application pathway. View licensing requirements

Combined practice

Choose an exam or combined practice to begin.

Licenses, application pathways and examination requirements

Each license and applicant pathway has its own requirements and exemptions. Choosing practice questions does not determine your eligibility.

Dental Hygiene License

Louisiana license to practice dental hygiene issued by the Louisiana State Board of Dentistry under R.S. 37:764; issued by examination, by credentials, or by credentials for Louisiana residents (R.S. 37:51 et seq.).

Licensing authority: Louisiana State Board of Dentistry · Application information

License by credentials

All of the following:

Application
Notarized application with the non-refundable $830 fee.
Background Check
Fingerprint criminal background check; NPDB self-query.
Clinical Exam Failures
Not failed any clinical licensure examination three or more times, unless the full board votes to overcome the prohibition (LAC 46:XXXIII.706.A.6).
Clinical Exam Open Set
Any initial clinical licensure examination taken in a United States jurisdiction that included a hand skills assessment is accepted (LAC 46:XXXIII.706.A.5); the application states: "If you completed an examination other than ADEX, you must have that examining agency send proof of your successful completion of its examination."
Continuing Education
Continuing education completed as required by every state of current licensure (LAC 46:XXXIII.706.A.15).
Cpr
Current BLS for healthcare providers or equivalent.
Dental School Graduate Alternative
R.S. 37:764(C), incorporated through LAC 46:XXXIII.706.A.1, lets a CODA-accredited dental school graduate rely on the Joint Commission dentistry examination instead of the dental hygiene examination; that examination is not mounted.
Education
Graduation from a CODA-accredited dental hygiene school (application Rev. 05/07/2025; LAC 46:XXXIII.103.B).
Good Standing
Endorsed in good standing by every state of licensure, no pending criminal charges, no unresolved complaints, liability-insurance and malpractice disclosures (LAC 46:XXXIII.706.A.7-19).
Interview
Personal interview before the board if deemed necessary (LAC 46:XXXIII.706.A.16).
Jurisprudence Score Validity
Jurisprudence test scores are valid for one year.
Other State License
Currently possesses a nonrestricted dental hygiene license in another state (LAC 46:XXXIII.706.A.3).
Practice History
At least 1,000 hours per year of full-time dental hygiene practice for the preceding year, or one year of full-time dental hygiene teaching immediately before applying (LAC 46:XXXIII.706.A.4).
References
Three affidavits of recommendation from unrelated professional associates (LAC 46:XXXIII.706.A.13).
License by credentials louisiana resident

All of the following:

  • At least one of the following alternatives:

    • All of the following:

      • ADEX Dental Hygiene Computer Simulated Clinical Examination (CSCE OSCE) (practice unavailable)
      • ADEX Dental Hygiene Simulated Patient Treatment Clinical Examination (SPTCE) (assessment without a question bank)
  • Louisiana Dental Hygiene Jurisprudence Examination
Application
Notarized application with the non-refundable $830 fee.
Background Check
Fingerprint criminal background check; NPDB self-query; no disqualifying criminal record (R.S. 37:52(A)(5)).
Clinical Exam Open Set
Any clinical licensing examination completed at some point in the licensure history that included a hand skills assessment is accepted (R.S. 37:52(D); application Rev. 05/15/2025); an examination other than ADEX is proven by its examining agency.
Cpr
Current BLS for healthcare providers or equivalent.
Other State License
Currently holds a nonrestricted dental hygiene license in good standing in another U.S. state or territory, held for at least one year, with no disciplinary charges pending (R.S. 37:52(A)(1)-(6)).
Residency
Must currently reside in Louisiana and prove residency with a Louisiana driver's license or ID, voter registration card, homestead exemption, or proof or promise of Louisiana employment (R.S. 37:52(A)(8), 37:53; application Rev. 05/15/2025). A license based on employment proof is valid for six months unless another proof is supplied.
License by examination

All of the following:

Age
At least eighteen years of age (R.S. 37:764(A)(1)).
Application
Notarized application with the non-refundable $180 fee and a recent photograph.
Background Check
Fingerprint criminal background check scheduled after the application is received (R.S. 37:764(D); LAC 46:XXXIII Chapter 18).
Clinical Exam Failures
No candidate is licensed after failing any clinical licensing examination a total of three times, unless the full board overcomes the prohibition under LAC 46:XXXIII.1711.F.
Clinical Exam History
Applicants who completed dental hygiene school more than six months before applying must have CDCA-WREB-CITA, SRTA and CRDTS each certify their examination history (application Rev. 01/13/2025).
Clinical Exam Window
Apply within three years of passing the ADEX dental hygiene examination (R.S. 37:764(D); LAC 46:XXXIII.1711.C; application Rev. 01/13/2025).
Cpr
Current AHA BLS for healthcare providers, American Red Cross Professional Rescue course, or equivalent (R.S. 37:764(A)(6)).
Dental School Graduate Alternative
Under R.S. 37:764(C) a graduate of a CODA-accredited dental school who passed the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations examination for dentistry (instead of the dental hygiene examination) may apply for a dental hygiene license; that dentistry examination is another profession's examination and is not mounted.
Education
Graduation from a dental hygiene school approved by the board / accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (R.S. 37:764(A)(4); LAC 46:XXXIII.103.B, 1711.A.3).
Jurisprudence Score Validity
Jurisprudence test scores are valid for one year; the jurisprudence exam may be scheduled only after the application and fee are received (application Rev. 01/13/2025).
Work Authorization
U.S. citizen or valid and current legal authority to reside and work in the United States (R.S. 37:764(A)(2)).
Renewal
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Continuing Education
Continuing education for relicensure of dental hygienists (LAC 46:XXXIII Chapter 16, §1613).
Cpr
Current CPR Course "C" BLS for Health Care Providers or equivalent (R.S. 37:770(A)(3)).
Cycle
Nonrestricted licenses are renewed biennially and expire on December 31 of the renewal period (LAC 46:XXXIII.409.A; R.S. 37:770(C)).
Fee
Biennial renewal fee (R.S. 37:770(A)(1); LAC 46:XXXIII.419).
Late Renewal
Failure to renew by February first of the renewal year leads to notice of revocation for nonpayment (R.S. 37:770(D)).

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-08-30.

Reinstatement after nonrenewal revocation
Application
Completed application with certification of competency and good character, all required fees, and a personal interview if deemed necessary (LAC 46:XXXIII.114.A.1-3).
Cpr
Current AHA health care provider CPR, American Red Cross professional rescue course, or equivalent (LAC 46:XXXIII.114.A.4).
Denial
The board may refuse reinstatement for misrepresentation, discipline elsewhere, or causes in R.S. 37:775-777 (LAC 46:XXXIII.114.B).
Jurisprudence When
The jurisprudence examination is required when the license has been inactive or the licensee has not practiced for one year or greater (LAC 46:XXXIII.124.J via §114.A.5).
Remediation
Other applicable provisions of LAC 46:XXXIII.124: board evaluation of all areas of dental hygiene the licensee is authorized to perform, by written and/or clinical examinations of an entity of the board's choosing (not identified), fingerprint background check after one year of inactivity, one-half of the continuing education requirement within 120 days, and any remediation the board prescribes.
Reinstatement or reissuance after discipline
Continuing Education
Completion of required continuing education if the suspension exceeded one year (R.S. 37:783(C)).
Costs
Payment of all costs or fines and a reinstatement or relicensing fee (R.S. 37:783(B), (C)).
Ethics Course
After a suspension of three months or more, a course in ethics as determined by the board (LAC 46:XXXIII.124.E).
Jurisprudence When
R.S. 37:783(C) permits reissuance "without an examination"; the board's rule LAC 46:XXXIII.124.J requires the jurisprudence examination whenever the license has been inactive or the licensee has not practiced for one year or greater.
Restrictions
Any restrictions are set out in an addendum to the reinstated or reissued license (R.S. 37:783(A)); other remediation under LAC 46:XXXIII.124 at the board's discretion.
Return to active practice
Background Check
Fingerprint background check when inactive one year or greater (LAC 46:XXXIII.124.I).
Continuing Education
One-half of the continuing education requirement, including a board-approved CPR course, within 120 days of reinstatement or return (LAC 46:XXXIII.124.J).
Evaluation
Inactive three months to one year: evaluation at the board's prerogative; not practiced one year or more: evaluation and case-by-case remediation. Hygienists are evaluated on all authorized areas of dental hygiene by written and/or clinical examinations of an entity of the board's choosing, which the rule does not identify (LAC 46:XXXIII.124.C, D, F, H).
Jurisprudence When
Required when the license has been inactive or the licensee has not practiced for one year or greater (LAC 46:XXXIII.124.J).
Retired Volunteer Conversion
A retired volunteer licensee returning to active status who has not practiced in the preceding year is subject, at the board's discretion, to LAC 46:XXXIII.124 (R.S. 37:764.1(H)).

Temporary Dental Hygiene License

Temporary dental hygiene license under LAC 46:XXXIII.120.B for license-by-credentials applicants; issued for no longer than six months at a time and valid for no longer than one year in total.

Licensing authority: Louisiana State Board of Dentistry · Application information

Temporary license military

All of the following:

Documentation
Proof of a current nonrestricted license in good standing in another jurisdiction, no discipline, and either military specialty training with active duty orders to Louisiana or honorable discharge within 12 months, or, for a spouse, the member's active duty status, the marriage and orders to Louisiana (LAC 46:XXXIII.120.C, D).
Eligibility
A license-by-credentials applicant under R.S. 37:3651: a military-trained hygienist, or the spouse of an active duty military member, who does not meet the practice requirement of LAC 46:XXXIII.706.A.4.a-b and applies for a temporary license to fulfill it (LAC 46:XXXIII.120.B.2, C, D).
Other Requirements
Must first apply for a license by credentials by meeting all other requirements listed in §706 (LAC 46:XXXIII.120.C, D).
Term
Issued for no longer than six months at a time and never valid for longer than one year (LAC 46:XXXIII.120.G, I).
Temporary license pending credentials

All of the following:

Application
Must be accompanied by the license-by-credentials application and fees (LAC 46:XXXIII.120.E).
Clinical Exam Open Set
As on the license-by-credentials route, any initial U.S. clinical licensure examination with a hand skills assessment is accepted (LAC 46:XXXIII.706.A.5).
Eligibility
A license-by-credentials applicant who has met all criteria of LAC 46:XXXIII.706 before the next regularly scheduled board meeting and has requested and paid the temporary license fees (LAC 46:XXXIII.120.B.1).
Revocation
May be revoked for causes in R.S. 37:777, a §707 denial, or failure to prove Louisiana practice (LAC 46:XXXIII.120.J).
Term
Issued for no longer than six months at a time; a temporary dental hygiene license is never valid for longer than one year; practice must be in Louisiana (LAC 46:XXXIII.120.F-I).

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

Louisiana Dental Hygiene Jurisprudence Examination

Provider
Louisiana State Board of Dentistry
Format
Written test of true/false and multiple choice questions
Exam questions
100
Passing score
75 correct answers
Examination outline
  • Louisiana Dental Practice Act (R.S. 37:751 et seq.)
  • LAC 46:XXXIII Chapter 1. General Provisions
  • LAC 46:XXXIII Chapter 2. Teledentistry
  • LAC 46:XXXIII Chapter 3. Dentists
  • LAC 46:XXXIII Chapter 4. Fees and Costs
  • LAC 46:XXXIII Chapter 7. Dental Hygienists
  • LAC 46:XXXIII Chapter 8. Complaints, Investigation, and Informal Resolution
  • LAC 46:XXXIII Chapter 9. Formal Adjudication
  • LAC 46:XXXIII Chapter 12. Transmission Prevention of Hepatitis B Virus, Hepatitis C Virus, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus
  • LAC 46:XXXIII Chapter 13. Dental Laser and Air Abrasion Utilization
  • LAC 46:XXXIII Chapter 15. Anesthesia/Analgesia Administration
  • LAC 46:XXXIII Chapter 16. Continuing Education Requirements
  • LAC 46:XXXIII Chapter 17. Licensure Examination
  • LAC 46:XXXIII Chapter 18. Criminal History Records Information
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