§90-36. Licensing practitioners of other states

(a)        The North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners may issue a license by credentials to an applicant who has been licensed to practice dentistry in any state or territory of the United States if the applicant produces satisfactory evidence to the Board that the applicant has the required education, training, and qualifications, is in good standing with the licensing jurisdiction, has passed satisfactory examinations of proficiency in the knowledge and practice of dentistry as determined by the Board, and meets all other requirements of this section and rules adopted by the Board. The Board may conduct examinations and interviews to test the qualifications of the applicant and may require additional information that would affect the applicant's ability to render competent dental care. The Board may, in its discretion, refuse to issue a license by credentials to an applicant who the Board determines is unfit to practice dentistry.

(b)        The applicant for licensure by credentials shall be of good moral character and shall have graduated from and have a DDS or DMD degree from a program of dentistry in a school or college accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association and approved by the Board.

(c)        The applicant must meet all of the following conditions:

(1)        Has been actively practicing dentistry, as defined in G.S. 90-29(b)(1) through (b)(9), for a minimum of five years immediately preceding the date of application.

(2)        Has not been the subject of final or pending disciplinary action in the Armed Forces of the United States, in any state or territory in which the applicant is or has ever been licensed to practice dentistry, or in any state or territory in which the applicant has held any other professional license.

(3)        Presents evidence that the applicant has no felony convictions and that the applicant has no other criminal convictions that would affect the applicant's ability to render competent dental care.

(4)        Has not failed an examination conducted by the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners.

(d)       The applicant for licensure by credentials shall submit an application to the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners, the form of which shall be determined by the Board, pay the fee required by G.S. 90-39, successfully complete examinations in Jurisprudence and Sterilization and Infection Control, and meet the criteria or requirements established by the Board.

(e)        The holder of a license issued under this section shall establish a practice location and actively practice dentistry, as defined in G.S. 90-29(b)(1) through (b)(9), in North Carolina within one year from the date the license is issued. The license issued under this section shall be void upon a finding by the Board that the licensee fails to limit the licensee's practice to North Carolina or that the licensee no longer actively practices dentistry in North Carolina. However, when a dentist licensed under this section faces possible Board action to void the dentist's license for failure to limit the dentist's practice to North Carolina, if the dentist demonstrates to the Board that out-of-state practice actions were in connection with formal contract or employment arrangements for the dentist to provide needed clinical dental care to patients who are part of an identified ethnic or racial minority group living in a region of the other state with low access to dental care, the Board, in its discretion, may waive the in-State limitations on the out-of-state practice for a maximum of 12 months.

(1935, c. 66, s. 9; 1971, c. 755, s. 7; 1981, c. 751, s. 6; 2002-37, s. 2; 2009-289, s. 1; 2011-183, s. 58.)