How can I become a Board member?

Board members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. For more information about Gubernatorial Appointments, please visit the Governors website.

All Board meetings are open to the public and you are encouraged to attend.

How can I get a Board agenda?

You may request to be placed on the Boards Interested Parties Lists. The Board routinely sends out Agenda Outlines to interested parties 7-10 days prior to an upcoming board meeting. Copies of the full "public" agenda are also available, but are subject to a duplication fee.

How can I file a complaint against a licensee?

You may print the Complaint Form from our website or call 850.488.0595 or 850.414.1976 to request one by mail.

To file a complaint on a non-medical related business or profession, please visit the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

How can I check if someone is licensed?

You may use our  License Look-Up Search Screen. The best results often occur when the system receives the least amount of information. If licensee is one of our profiled professions, there will be a link at the upper right portion of the screen that says Link to Practitioner Profile. This will take you to practitioner reported information about their education, specialty certification, etc.

How can I get a list of licensee information?

To obtain an electronic listing of active and inactive licensee's mailing addresses and license status for DOH/MQA regulated professions use our Licensee Data Information service. Please note: The department does not maintain email addresses, fax or telephone numbers in the normal course of business.

Can I get a refund if I do not sit for the exam?

The Department will refund one-half of the examination fee of any applicant who notifies the Department in writing at least 14 days prior to the examination date that he/she is not going to take the examination. One half of the Examination fee is refundable if the applicant is determined ineligible for examination. Refund requests must be made in writing and must be received by the Board office no less than fourteen days prior to the examination date.

Do I have to provide my own patient and supplies?

Yes. The Candidate Information Booklet will provide you with the specific information and can be downloaded from MQA's examination website.

Dental and dental hygiene licenses must be renewed each biennium. The biennium is March 1st through February 28th of every even-numbered year.

Notices are mailed to all licensees at least 120 days prior to expiration of the license; however, it is the licensee's responsibility to renew the license whether a renewal notice is received or not.

Note: Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.

MQA On-line Services account ID and passwords can be found directly on the renewal notice. If the licensee did not receive their renewal notice, the Department can provide the licensee with their account ID and password over the telephone or by email. To receive an account ID and password over the telephone, the licensee should contact the Department at (850) 488-0595. A member of the MQA Call Center can assist the licensee with this information. To receive an account ID and password by email, the licensee can email their request to LicensureServices@doh.state.fl.us. Notices should be received in the first 2 weeks of December of each odd numbered year.

No. If you miss the renewal deadline it will cost you an additional fee to reactivate your delinquent dental license or delinquent dental hygiene license.

Can I put my license in the inactive category?

Yes. However, you must request that status and pay the inactive fee which is the same as the active. Also, you renew that inactive status each renewal period. The only advantage to inactive status is that you do not have to maintain continuing education hours; however, when you reactivate to an active status you must complete continuing education equal to the time you have been inactive.

If I take a ten hour course on HIV/AIDS can the remaining nine (9) hours count toward my 24/30 hours required for renewal?

Yes.

No, hours can not be transferred from one biennium to another.

Continuing education credits are awarded only for educational experiences received through the following methods and may be self-reported through CE Broker:

• Courses offered by Board-approved continuing education providers
• Courses offered by the American or National Dental Associations and their constituent and component dental associations and societies, including affiliated specialty organizations or a provider organization recognized by either the American or National Dental Associations
• American or National Dental Hygienist Association and their constituent and component associations and societies
• Academy of General Dentistry and its constituent and component organizations or a provider approved by the Academy of General Dentistry's National Sponsor Approval Program
• A dental, dental hygiene or dental assisting school accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation
• A hospital dental service or a college, university, or community college which is accredited by an accrediting agency approved by the United States Office of Education
• American Red Cross, American Heart Association, and the American Cancer Society
• An educational program or course associated with a medical school which is accredited by the American Medical Association's Liaison Committee for Medical Education
• Participating in Board-approved individual study
• By participating in examination standardization exercises
• By participating in programs approved by the Board that provide substantial pro bono dental and dental hygiene services to the indigent, to dentally underserved populations or to persons who reside in areas of critical need within Florida
• By participating as an expert witness in the review of disciplinary cases
• By participating as part of a course at a dental, dental hygiene or dental assisting school accredited by the ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation, its successor agency or other nationally recognized accrediting agency, an adjunct, part-time faculty member may receive three (3) continuing education hours per semester/quarter
• By attending a meeting of the Board wherein disciplinary cases are considered.  Up to four hours of credit per renewal cycle may be earned in this manner

Dentists are exempt during the biennium in which they receive initial licensure;

if enrolled in a post-graduate specialty training or residency program at a dental school accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation; or serving as full-time faculty members at a dental, dental hygiene or dental assisting school accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission of Dental Accreditation.

Dental Hygienists are exempt during the biennium in which they receive initial licensure; enrolled full-time in an academic program directly related to dentistry or dental hygiene; or serving as full-time faculty members at a dental, hygiene school or dental assisting school accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation.

The rule does not relieve a licensee from the obligation to obtain training required by Sections 456.013(7), 456.031 and 456.033, Florida Statutes, as a condition of license renewal.

In-office bleaching is not a delegable duty for dental assistants; however, the rule was recently amended to allow dental hygienists to apply bleaching solution, activate light source, and monitor and remove in-office bleaching materials under the direct supervision of a Florida licensed dentists.