The Florida dental clinical or practical examination is
currently the American Dental Licensing Examination (ADLEX) developed by the
American Board of Dental Examiners, Inc. An applicant for a dental license in
Florida can submit ADLEX scores from a jurisdiction other than Florida if the
examination was completed after October 1, 2011. If, however, the passing
scores from the ADLEX are over 365 days old, the results will not be recognized
unless all criteria below are met.
(1)
Applicable Definitions:
(a) Full-time practice
- means completing one thousand two hundred (1,200) hours of practice per
calendar year; when applicable, the hours shall be broken down to one hundred
(100) hours per month.
(b) Month -
means thirty (30) days.
(c)
Practice - means any combination of the following:
1) Active clinical practice of dentistry
providing direct patient care;
2)
Full-time practice as a faculty member employed by a dental or dental hygiene
school approved by the board or accredited by the American Dental Association
Commission on Dental Accreditation, or
3) Full-time practice as a student at a
postgraduate dental education program approved by the board or accredited by
the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation.
(d) Recognized or Other
Jurisdiction - means a state or territory of the United States, the District of
Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(2) Mandatory Criteria: The applicant shall
meet all of the following criteria.
(a)
Compliance with all provisions of Section 466.006(4)(b)2., F.S. The applicant
should carefully review this section of the Florida Statutes.
(b) Provide documentation that the applicant
has been consecutively engaged in full-time practice in a recognized
jurisdiction for the preceding five (5) years or since initial licensure, if
less than five years, prior to the date of application for licensure to the
Florida Board of Dentistry.
(3) Mandatory Documentation:
Each category of full-time practice claimed must be supported
by the following documentation. There must be documentation submitted from
subparagraph (a) and (b), below, if applicable.
(a) Annual income tax return filed with the
Internal Revenue Service as required by section 466.006(4)(b)2.e.,
F.S.
(b) An original and official
letter from the dean of the school or program sent directly from the program or
school to the Board, that supports that the applicant did engage in full-time
practice as a faculty member or as a student which matches the dates
month-for-month and year-for-year as listed.
(4) The board may excuse applicants from the
full-time practice requirement in the event of a demonstrated hardship. A
hardship is defined as an absence from the practice of dentistry due to one of
the following:
(a) The birth or care of a
newborn child;
(b) The care of a
spouse, child, or parent with a serious health condition;
(c) A serious health condition which
prevented the dentist from working full-time.
(5) An applicant seeking an excusal of the
full-time practice requirement must submit supporting documentation to the
Board, which shall include a signed letter from the treating physician which
identifies the reason for the hardship and the period of time the applicant was
not able to work.
(6) Mandatory
Board Appearance and Delays:
(a) It is in the
best interest of the applicant to carefully review all documents submitted for
accuracy, authenticity, legibility, and statutory and rule compliance to avoid
unnecessary delays, board appearances, or denials.
(b) The Board is authorized to require the
applicant and the applicant's witness to appear before the Board to give oral
testimony under oath to assess credibility or accuracy of the full-time
practice requirements. Section 466.006(4)(b)3.e.(IV), F.S. In addition, the
Board can require a mandatory appearance regarding any licensure application
and a failure to appear at one of the next two regularly scheduled meetings
shall result in a denial of licensure and will toll the time for ruling on the
application. Section 456.013(3),
F.S. Finally, any incomplete submission can delay the application process.
Section 120.60(1),
F.S.
