Examination of dental hygienists.

(1)(a) Any person desiring to be licensed as a dental hygienist shall apply to the department to take the licensure examinations and shall verify the information required on the application by oath. The application must include two recent photographs of the applicant. There shall be a nonrefundable application fee set by the board not to exceed $100 and an examination fee set by the board not to exceed $225. The examination fee may be refunded if the applicant is found ineligible to take the examinations.

(b) Applicants for licensure must also submit to background screening in accordance with s. 456.0135.

(2) An applicant is entitled to take the examinations required in this section to practice dental hygiene in this state if the applicant:

(a) Is 18 years of age or older.

(b)1. Is a graduate of a dental hygiene college or school approved by the board or accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Dental Association or its successor entity, if any, or any other dental hygiene program accrediting entity recognized by the United States Department of Education; or

2. Is a graduate of a dental college or school accredited in accordance with s. 466.006(2)(b), or a graduate of an unaccredited dental college or school, and has met the requirements of subsection (3).

(c)1. In the case of a graduate of a dental hygiene college or school under subparagraph (2)(b)1.:

a. Has successfully completed the National Board of Dental Hygiene examination at any time before the date of application;

b. Has been certified by the American Dental Association Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations at any time before the date of application;

c. Effective January 1, 1997, has completed coursework that is comparable to an associate in science degree;

d. Has not been disciplined by a board, except for citation offenses or minor violations; and

e. Has not been convicted of or pled nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, any felony or misdemeanor related to the practice of a health care profession.

2. In the case of a graduate of a dental college or school under subparagraph (2)(b)2.:

a. Has successfully completed the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination or the National Board Dental Examination;

b. Has not been disciplined by a board, except for citation offenses or minor violations; and

c. Has not been convicted of or pled nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, any felony or misdemeanor related to the practice of a health care profession.

(3) A graduate of a dental college or school shall be entitled to take the examinations required in this section to practice dental hygiene in this state if, in addition to the requirements specified in subsection (2), the graduate meets the following requirements:

(a) Submits the following credentials for review by the board:

1. Transcripts totaling 4 academic years of postsecondary dental education; and

2. A dental school diploma which is comparable to a D.D.S. or D.M.D.

Such credentials shall be submitted in a manner provided by rule of the board. The board shall approve those credentials which comply with this paragraph and with rules of the board adopted pursuant to this paragraph. The provisions of this paragraph notwithstanding, an applicant of a foreign dental college or school not accredited in accordance with s. 466.006(2)(b) who cannot produce the credentials required by this paragraph, as a result of political or other conditions in the country in which the applicant received his or her education, may seek the board’s approval of his or her educational background by submitting, in lieu of the credentials required in this paragraph, such other reasonable and reliable evidence as may be set forth by board rule. The board shall not accept such other evidence until it has made a reasonable attempt to obtain the credentials required by this paragraph from the educational institutions the applicant is alleged to have attended, unless the board is otherwise satisfied that such credentials cannot be obtained.

(b) Successfully completes one or more courses, of a scope and duration approved and defined by board rule, that meet the requirements of law for instructing health care providers on the human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome. In addition, the board may require an applicant who graduated from a nonaccredited dental college or school to successfully complete additional coursework, only after failing the initial examination, as defined by board rule, at an educational institution approved by the board or accredited as provided in subparagraph (2)(b)1. A graduate of a foreign dental college or school not accredited in accordance with s. 466.006(2)(b) may not take the coursework set forth in this paragraph until the board has approved the credentials required by paragraph (a).

(4) Effective July 1, 2012, to be licensed as a dental hygienist in this state, an applicant must successfully complete the following:

(a) A written examination on the laws and rules of this state regulating the practice of dental hygiene.

(b) A practical or clinical examination approved by the board. The examination shall be the Dental Hygiene Examination produced by the American Board of Dental Examiners, Inc., (ADEX) or its successor entity, if any, if the board finds that the successor entity’s clinical examination meets or exceeds the provisions of this section. The board shall approve the ADEX Dental Hygiene Examination if the board has attained and continues to maintain representation on the ADEX House of Representatives, the ADEX Dental Hygiene Examination Development Committee, and such other ADEX Dental Hygiene committees as the board deems appropriate through rulemaking to ensure that the standards established in this section are maintained organizationally. The ADEX Dental Hygiene Examination or the examination produced by its successor entity is a comprehensive examination in which an applicant must demonstrate skills within the dental hygiene scope of practice on a manikin that has typodont teeth with simulated dentition and calculus as approved by the Commission on Dental Competency Assessments and any other components that the board deems necessary for the applicant to successfully demonstrate competency for the purpose of licensure.

(5) Effective July 1, 2012, an applicant who has completed the ADEX Dental Hygiene Examination in a jurisdiction other than this state and who has obtained a passing score may practice dental hygiene in this state if the applicant:

(a) Has successfully completed the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination at any time before the date of application;

(b) Has been certified by the American Dental Association Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations at any time before the date of application, as specified by state law;

(c) Has successfully completed a written examination on the laws and rules of this state regulating the practice of dental hygiene;

(d) Has not been disciplined by a board, except for citation offenses or minor violations; and

(e) Has not been convicted of or pled nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, any felony or misdemeanor related to the practice of a health care profession.

(6)(a) A passing score on the ADEX Dental Hygiene Examination administered out of state must be considered the same as a passing score for the ADEX Dental Hygiene Examination administered in this state.

(b) If an applicant fails to pass the ADEX Dental Hygiene Examination in three attempts, the applicant is not eligible to retake the examination unless the applicant completes additional education requirements as specified by the board.