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South Carolina Dental Hygiene — Requirements & Free Practice

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License to Practice Dental Hygiene

Ordinary South Carolina dental hygienist licence issued by the Board of Dentistry under S.C. Code Title 40, Chapter 15 and Regulation 39-2.

Licensing authority: South Carolina Board of Dentistry (S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) · Application information

Licensure by examination

All of the following:

Clinical Examination Scope
The Board's Examination page lists ADEX, CRDTS and SRTA clinical exam scores as accepted and states: "The Board does not accept state clinical examinations nor the WREB clinical examination." The application overview states: "You must have successfully passed a state or regional clinical examination." No other state's own clinical examination is a requirement leaf of this route.
Cpr
Current CPR certification from a course taken within two years of application.
Disciplinary History
Applicants with disciplinary action or malpractice cases, pending or closed, are considered case by case and must submit the pleadings, final disposition and a personal explanation.
Education
Graduation from a school of dental hygiene accredited by the ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation (S.C. Code Ann. § 40-15-140(a); S.C. Reg. 39-2 B(2)); official transcript sent by the school.
Good Moral Character
Evidence of good moral character (S.C. Code Ann. § 40-15-140; S.C. Reg. 39-2 B(1)); three letters of reference dated within six months, at least one from a dentist.
Jurisprudence Examination
After the Board receives the application and fee it emails instructions and a UserId; a score of 70 or higher passes.
Other Documents
Notarized verification of lawful presence, National Practitioner Data Bank self-query report, licence verifications from every state of licensure, and the $150 application fee; the application is valid for one year.
Personal Interview
The applicant must agree to appear for a personal interview if requested by the Board.
Prior Srta Clinical Score
The Examination page still lists SRTA. SRTA merged into CRDTS; per the CRDTS+SRTA press release of 1/6/25 the SRTA exam was administered through the 2025 exam season, and from 2026 CRDTS+SRTA administers the CRDTS dental hygiene examinations. A passing SRTA dental hygiene score already earned is prior evidence the Board lists as accepted.
Reexamination
S.C. Reg. 39-4.1: after three unsuccessful takings of an examination the applicant may not retake it without special permission of the Board, which requires a petition and at least one year of additional dental hygiene education or a detailed explanation of compelling factors.
Reinstatement of expired license
SC Jurisprudence Examination (Dental Hygiene)
Applicability
A dental hygiene licence not renewed by March 1 of the renewal year expires; the renewal page states a reinstatement application is required.
Board Appearance Or Clinical Reexamination
S.C. Code Ann. § 40-15-170 permits reinstatement by taking the licensure examination or appearing in person before the Board with a satisfactory explanation; the Board's reinstatement overview states the applicant will be noticed for a Board appearance and may forgo it by retaking the dental hygiene clinical examination.
Continuing Education
Fourteen hours of continuing education in the past two years, including two hours of sterilization/infection control; only 50% online.
Cpr
Current CPR certification.
Explanation
Explanation of the lapse or expiration of the licence.
Good Standing
Good standing in every state or territory of any other professional licence held, and good moral character.
Jurisprudence Examination
Instructions and a UserId are emailed after the application is approved; a score of 70 or higher passes, and the licence is issued on passing.
Re Entry Program
If the licence lapsed or expired more than six years ago, the Board may require a Board-approved re-entry program; S.C. Code Ann. § 40-15-170 leaves relicensing after an absence of over six years to the Board's discretion upon proof of high professional fitness and moral character.
Biennial renewal
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Continuing Education
Fourteen continuing education hours per two-year cycle (S.C. Reg. 39-5 F(1)), including at least one hour of sterilization and infection control; reported to CE Broker; exempt for the first relicensure period after licensure by examination.
Cpr
CPR recertification every two years before renewal (S.C. Reg. 39-5 F(3)).
Renewal Cycle
Renews biennially by March 1; next renewal period on or around October 15, 2026 to March 1, 2027; fee $80 if renewed on or before December 31 of even years, higher thereafter.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2025-05-23.

Restricted Volunteer License (Dental Hygiene)

Restricted volunteer licence for dental hygienists licensed elsewhere under S.C. Code Ann. § 40-15-177; practice only in Board-registered clinics, for uninsured patients, without remuneration and under direct supervision of a licensed dentist.

Licensing authority: South Carolina Board of Dentistry (S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) · Application information

Restricted volunteer license
SC Jurisprudence Examination (Dental Hygiene)
Clinic
Signed statement from the Program Director of a Board-approved clinic verifying volunteer employment.
Clinical Examination History
Must not have failed the state's corresponding (Board-approved) clinical examination within the past five years.
Cpr
Current CPR certification.
Experience
At least five years of clinical practice as a dental hygienist.
Inactive Practitioners
If the applicant has not actively practiced within the past five years: physician's statement of competency, two letters of good moral character, an approved infection control course within two years, and, if requested by the Board, a personal interview, refresher course or re-examination.
Jurisprudence Examination
Instructions and a UserId are emailed after the application is received; a score of 70 or higher passes.
Licensure
S.C. Code Ann. § 40-15-177(A)(1): has held the corresponding licence in another state as a licensee in good standing; the Board's overview reads "Held a license in good standing in SC or another state."
Practice Restrictions
Practice only in Board-registered clinics, only for patients without insurance or financial assistance, without remuneration, and only under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist.
Restricted volunteer renewal
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Continuing Education
Continuing education and CPR must be completed before renewal.
Renewal Cycle
S.C. Code Ann. § 40-15-177(E) requires annual renewal in accordance with continuing education requirements; the Board's renewal page lists Volunteer Dental Hygiene as renewing biennially by March 1 with a $0 fee and a new application required after March 1 of even years.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2001-06-24.

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

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

SC Jurisprudence Examination (Dental Hygiene)

Provider
South Carolina Board of Dentistry (online; UserId emailed after application approval)
Format
Online, open-book examination
Passing score
70 or higher
Examination outline
  • S.C. Code of Laws Title 40, Chapter 15 — Dentists, Dental Hygienists, and Dental Technicians (Dental Practice Act)
  • S.C. Code of Regulations Chapter 39 — State Board of Dentistry
Examination sources