OpenExamsFREE PRACTICE — ANY EXAM

North Carolina Dental Hygiene — Requirements & Free Practice

US-NC · License preparation

471 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

Loading selected examination banks…

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.

Temporary Practice Permit

Temporary practice permit for a military-trained applicant or military spouse licensed, certified, or registered in another jurisdiction with substantially equivalent standards, while satisfying licensure requirements under G.S. 93B-15.1(a) or (b).

Licensing authority: North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners

Temporary practice permit for military trained applicants and military spouses
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Eligibility
Military-trained applicant or military spouse licensed in another jurisdiction with standards substantially equivalent to North Carolina's, while satisfying the requirements for licensure under G.S. 93B-15.1(a) or (b) (G.S. 93B-15.1(f)).
Validity
Valid for the later of one year or the required renewal date, or until a license is granted; may be denied or revoked for a pending complaint (G.S. 93B-15.1(f)).

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2022-07-01.

Provisional License to Practice Dental Hygiene

Provisional dental hygiene license under G.S. 90-226 and 21 NCAC 16E for a person licensed to practice dental hygiene in another jurisdiction; practice is restricted to the dental practice location designated in the application.

Licensing authority: North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners · Application information

Provisional licensure
Board competency examination
The Board may require the applicant to demonstrate professional competency by oral examination, written examination(s), clinical evaluation or any combination (21 NCAC 16E .0104).
Clinical examination
21 NCAC 16E .0103(b) requires the documents of 21 NCAC 16C .0501(b), including scores from a clinical examination accepted by the Board based on the criteria in 21 NCAC 16C .0303(d); no official source names the clinical examination for this route.
Duration
The Board page states the license is good for one year only and cannot be renewed or extended; G.S. 90-226(b) makes it valid until the announcement of results of the next succeeding Board examination unless earlier revoked or suspended.
Prior failure
No person who has failed an examination conducted by the Board is eligible (G.S. 90-226(c)).
Prior license
Licensed to practice dental hygiene anywhere in the United States or in any country, territory or other recognized jurisdiction whose licensing requirements the Board determines are no less exacting than North Carolina's (G.S. 90-226(a)).
Supervising dentist
Letter from a North Carolina licensed dentist stating that the dentist will supervise the applicant; practice restricted to the designated dental practice location (21 NCAC 16E .0102, .0103(a)(3)).
Written exam attempts
Applicants who do not pass the written examination after three attempts within one year may not reapply for provisional licensure (21 NCAC 16E .0103(d)).

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

North Carolina Dental Hygiene Jurisprudence Examination

Provider
North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners
Format
Online written examination
Passing score
At least 80 percent (21 NCAC 16C .0303(a))
Practice scope

Inferred from the examination name; the authority has not published an examination outline.

  • G.S. Chapter 90, Article 2 - Dental Practice Act
  • G.S. Chapter 90, Article 2A - Dental Peer Review Protection Act
  • G.S. Chapter 90, Article 16 - Dental Hygiene Act
  • G.S. Chapter 93B - Occupational Licensing Boards
  • 21 NCAC 16A - Organization
  • 21 NCAC 16C - Licensure Dental Hygienists
  • 21 NCAC 16E - Provisional Licensure: Dental Hygienist
  • 21 NCAC 16G - Dental Hygienists
  • 21 NCAC 16H - Dental Assistants
  • 21 NCAC 16I - Annual Renewal of License and Continuing Education Requirements: Dental Hygienist
  • 21 NCAC 16J - Sanitation, Sterilization, and Infection Control
  • 21 NCAC 16L - Board of Dental Elections
  • 21 NCAC 16N - Rulemaking and Administrative Hearing Procedures
  • 21 NCAC 16O - Nitrous-Oxide-Oxygen Conscious Sedation
  • 21 NCAC 16Q - General Anesthesia and Sedation
  • 21 NCAC 16S - Caring Dental Professionals Program
  • 21 NCAC 16U - Investigations
  • 21 NCAC 16V - Unprofessional Conduct
  • 21 NCAC 16W - Public Health Hygienists
  • 21 NCAC 16Z - Limited Supervision Hygienists
Examination sources

Sterilization and Infection Control Examination

Provider
North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners
Format
Online written examination
Passing score
At least 80 percent (21 NCAC 16C .0303(a))
Practice scope

Inferred from the examination name; the authority has not published an examination outline.

  • 21 NCAC 16J - Sanitation, Sterilization, and Infection Control
Examination sources