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Massachusetts Dentist — Requirements & Free Practice

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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.

Limited License Full-time Faculty

Limited license for a full-time member of a dental college faculty.

Licensing authority: board of registration in dentistry · Application information

Initial limited license full time faculty (234 CMR 4.05; M.G.L. c. 112, § 45A)
Massachusetts Dental Ethics and Jurisprudence Examination
Appointment
An original sealed letter confirming the applicant’s status and dates of appointment as a full-time faculty member at a CODA-accredited dental school, naming the supervising licensed dentist (234 CMR 4.05(4)(a)).
Continuing Education
Documentation of, or signed attestation to complete within one year, continuing education in CDC Guidelines, OSHA Standards, treatment planning and diagnosis, record-keeping, risk management and pharmacology, or enrollment in a CODA-accredited dental school covering those areas (234 CMR 4.05(5)).
Controlled Substance Training
Proof of completion of the training required by M.G.L. c. 94C, § 18(e) (234 CMR 4.05(17)).
Cpr Certification
Current BLS or CPR/AED certification (234 CMR 4.05(6)).
Education
Proof of a diploma in dentistry from a reputable dental college: CODA-accredited graduates submit a sealed transcript or letter; graduates of non-CODA or foreign programs submit a sealed transcript with certified English translation if needed (234 CMR 4.05(3); M.G.L. c. 112, § 45A).
English Proficiency
A graduate of a dental school whose language of instruction was not English submits a minimum passing score on a Board-designated test of English proficiency; the Board pages name the TOEFL or IELTS (234 CMR 4.05(7)).
Examination Alternative
234 CMR 4.05(2) accepts documentation of passing the Massachusetts Dental Ethics and Jurisprudence Examination or a Board-approved successor examination. The linked examination is the examination requested in the Board's limited dental faculty application instructions; the alternative requires Board approval of a successor examination.
Fee
Non-refundable licensing and application fee (Board page: dental limited license fee $90).
Good Moral Character
Disclosure statement and proof satisfactory to the Board of good moral character (234 CMR 4.05(12)-(13)).
Physician Statement
A physician’s statement from an examination within one year of application (234 CMR 4.05(8)).
Practice Scope
Practice only in the designated institution and, for a full time faculty member, its intramural group dental practice (M.G.L. c. 112, § 45A).
Standing And History
Certified letters of standing from every jurisdiction where the applicant has been licensed, a practice history and an original NPDB self-query report (234 CMR 4.05(9)-(11)).
Tax And Child Support
Attestation of compliance with state tax and child support laws (234 CMR 4.05(16)).
Term
Limited licenses are issued for one year and limited licensees must re-apply each year (Board limited dental licenses page).
Annual renewal of limited license full time faculty (234 CMR 4.06(1))
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Annual Renewal
Annual application, fees and information required by the Board, including compliance with CEU requirements at 234 CMR 8.02(2) (234 CMR 4.06(1)).
Controlled Substance Training
A limited licensee who prescribes within the meaning of M.G.L. c. 94C completes the annual training required by M.G.L. c. 94C, § 18(e) (234 CMR 4.06(3)).

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2018-04-20.

Limited License Dental Intern

Limited licensure under M.G.L. c. 112, § 45A for a dental intern serving in a hospital or other institution maintained by the state, a county or municipality.

Licensing authority: board of registration in dentistry · Application information

Initial limited license dental intern (234 CMR 4.05; M.G.L. c. 112, § 45A)
Massachusetts Dental Ethics and Jurisprudence Examination
Appointment
Proof of appointment as a dental intern in a hospital or other institution maintained by the Commonwealth, a county or municipality, or a hospital or dental infirmary incorporated in Massachusetts, naming the supervising licensed dentist (234 CMR 4.05(4)(b)); employment must be secured before applying.
Continuing Education
Documentation of, or signed attestation to complete within one year, continuing education in CDC Guidelines, OSHA Standards, treatment planning and diagnosis, record-keeping, risk management and pharmacology, or enrollment in a CODA-accredited dental school covering those areas (234 CMR 4.05(5)).
Controlled Substance Training
Proof of completion of the training required by M.G.L. c. 94C, § 18(e) (234 CMR 4.05(17)).
Cpr Certification
Current BLS or CPR/AED certification (234 CMR 4.05(6)).
Education
Proof of a diploma in dentistry from a reputable dental college: CODA-accredited graduates submit a sealed transcript or letter; graduates of non-CODA or foreign programs submit a sealed transcript with certified English translation if needed (234 CMR 4.05(3); M.G.L. c. 112, § 45A).
English Proficiency
A graduate of a dental school whose language of instruction was not English submits a minimum passing score on a Board-designated test of English proficiency; the Board pages name the TOEFL or IELTS (234 CMR 4.05(7)).
Examination Alternative
234 CMR 4.05(2) accepts documentation of passing the Massachusetts Dental Ethics and Jurisprudence Examination or a Board-approved successor examination. The linked examination is the examination requested in the Board's limited dental intern application instructions; the alternative requires Board approval of a successor examination.
Fee
Non-refundable licensing and application fee (Board page: dental limited license fee $90).
Good Moral Character
Disclosure statement and proof satisfactory to the Board of good moral character (234 CMR 4.05(12)-(13)).
Physician Statement
A physician’s statement from an examination within one year of application (234 CMR 4.05(8)).
Practice Limit
Practice under original and renewal limited registrations is limited to five years unless the intern passes a clinical examination administered by the Board (M.G.L. c. 112, § 45A); practice only in the designated institution under a registered dentist.
Standing And History
Certified letters of standing from every jurisdiction where the applicant has been licensed, a practice history and an original NPDB self-query report (234 CMR 4.05(9)-(11)).
Tax And Child Support
Attestation of compliance with state tax and child support laws (234 CMR 4.05(16)).
Term
Limited licenses are issued for one year and limited licensees must re-apply each year (Board limited dental licenses page).

Temporary Registration (Dentist)

Two-year temporary registration for continuing education or training in an approved private or commercial dental facility or dental convention, permitting dentistry only in the designated facility under the direction of a registered dentist employed there; revocable at any time by the board.

Licensing authority: Massachusetts Board of Registration in Dentistry

Temporary registration for continuing education or training (M.G.L. c. 112, § 45B)
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Age
Eighteen years of age or over and of good moral character (M.G.L. c. 112, § 45B).
Education
Diploma from a reputable dental college as defined in M.G.L. c. 112, § 46.
Fee
Fee determined annually under M.G.L. c. 7, § 3B.
Practice Scope
Practice only in the designated facility under a registered dentist employed there, only in connection with that education or training; revocable at any time by the Board.
Training Setting
Satisfactory proof that the applicant is receiving or providing continuing education or training in a private or commercial dental facility or dental convention approved for those purposes by the ADA, the Academy of General Dentistry, a similar organization or an institution of higher education.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-08-31.

Massachusetts Dental Ethics and Jurisprudence Examination

Provider
Massachusetts Board of Registration in Dentistry
Format
Mandatory open-book written examination; the Board emails a copy on request and the applicant submits the answer sheet with the license application.
Examination outline
  • M.G.L. c. 112: Registration of Certain Professions and Occupations
  • M.G.L. c. 94C: Controlled Substances Act
  • 234 CMR 2.00: Purpose and Definitions
  • 234 CMR 4.00: Licensure and License Renewal Requirements
  • 234 CMR 5.00: Requirements for the Practice of Dentistry, Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting
  • 234 CMR 6.00: Administration of Anesthesia and Sedation
  • 234 CMR 7.00: Mobile and Portable Dentistry
  • 234 CMR 8.00: Continuing Education
  • 234 CMR 9.00: Investigations, Complaints and Board Actions
  • 29 CFR Part 1910: Occupational Safety and Health Standards (OSHA General Industry Standards)
  • ADA Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct
  • ADHA Code of Ethics
  • ADA Guidelines for the Use of Sedation and General Anesthesia by Dentists
  • ADA Guidelines for Teaching Pain Control and Sedation to Dentists and Dental Students
  • American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care
  • 310 CMR 73.00: Amalgam Wastewater and Recycling Regulations for Dental Facilities
  • AAP/AAPD Guidelines for Monitoring and Management of Pediatric Patients During and After Sedation for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures
Examination sources