30 Miss. Code. R. 2301-1.14 - BOARD REGULATION NUMBER 14-CANDIDATE PARTICIPATION IN LICENSURE EXAMINATION

Purpose: To provide standards and policies for candidates who participate in Board-approved licensure examinations and subsequently make application for licensure by examination to the Board.

1. Applicability

This regulation applies to all applicants for licensure to practice dentistry or dental hygiene in the State of Mississippi by examination.

2. Duty to Obtain License

A. Any dentist or dental hygienist desiring to practice in this State must first obtain a license to do so by contacting the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners at its current address.

B. When an inquiry concerning licensure is received, an application eliciting certain pertinent information is sent to the applicant. References submitted on the application are queried, as well as the school(s) of graduation, the American Dental Association (ADA) or American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA), other states in which the applicant may be licensed, and facilities/clinics where the applicant has practiced.

C. An applicant who is participating in or who has participated in an impaired professionals/disabled dentist program as approved by the Board must document a two-year period of abstinence from any abusive use of mood-altering drugs, which shall include, but not be limited to, alcohol and all substances listed in Schedules I through V of the Uniform Controlled Substances Law, Mississippi Code (1972) Annotated, from the date of completion of the program before the applicant is eligible for a permanent license to practice dentistry/dental hygiene in the State of Mississippi.

D. Prior to the issuance or reinstatement of a dental or dental hygiene license, any dentist or dental hygienist who has not actively practiced his/her profession for the time period stipulated in Rule 1.49 --Regulation 49 shall be required to participate in a Board-approved clinical skills assessment program to assure post-licensure competency.

3. Licensure by Examination

A. To qualify for consideration of a license by examination, an applicant shall fulfill, at a minimum, those requirements stipulated by Miss. Code Ann. § 73-9-23, provided that the Board reserves its right to deny licensure if that individual fails to meet all requirements for licensure subsequent to successful completion of a Board-approved licensure examination, as hereinafter defined.

B. All candidates applying for licensure by examination also shall be required to successfully complete a Mississippi jurisprudence examination based upon the laws and regulations currently adopted by the Board, such examination to be completed within ninety (90) days from the date the candidate makes application to the Board for a license by examination. No license shall be issued to any candidate who does not successfully complete a Mississippi jurisprudence examination.

4. Licensure Examinations Approved by the Board

A. For the purpose of licensure by examination, the Board may from time-to-time recognize clinical licensure examinations administered by other state and regional testing agencies (hereinafter referred to as "Board-approved licensure examination"). The Board shall maintain an up-to-date list of all Board-approved licensure examinations by state and/or regional testing authority, which list also shall include the dates of initial acceptance of such Board-approved licensure examinations. Furthermore, this list may be made available on the Board's Internet web site.

B. Effective January 1, 2014, dental and dental hygiene candidates applying for licensure by examination who have successfully completed a Board-approved licensure examination which does not contain a written/computerized comprehensive examination on applied clinical diagnosis and treatment planning, aside from the written/computerized examinations administered by the Joint Com- mission on National Dental Examinations, will be required to successfully complete the American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX) computerized/written comprehensive examination on applied clinical diagnosis and treatment planning prior to applying for licensure by examination in the State of Mississippi. The time period for successfully completing the ADEX computerized/written examination will coincide with the time period stipulated in item 4.C. of this Regulation for dental and dental hygiene candidates to apply for licensure by examination based upon successful completion of a Board-approved licensure examination.

C. Candidates who successfully complete a Board-approved licensure examination shall have a maximum of five (5) years from the date of successful completion of a Board-approved licensure examination to make application for licensure by examination in the State of Mississippi. Furthermore, after the expiration of one (1) year from the date of their successful completion of a Board-approved licensure examination, candidates shall be required to show proof of actively practicing their profession for a minimum of ninety (90) days per year prior to making application for licensure by examination.

5. Participation in Licensure Examination

A. Candidates for licensure to practice dentistry or dental hygiene in the State of Mississippi who fail any part(s) of a Board-approved licensure examination will be required to adhere to all examination guidelines of the testing entity responsible for administering the Board-approved licensure examination. Further, in those instances where the testing entity requires remediation following failure(s) of Board-approved licensure examinations, a candidate for licensure to practice dentistry must take and successfully complete one (1) academic year of clinical training in an approved dental school before being allowed to take the same Board-approved licensure examination again. In the case of a candidate for licensure to practice dental hygiene, the candidate must take and successfully complete six (6) months of clinical training in an approved dental hygiene school before being allowed to take the same Board-approved licensure examination again.

B. Candidates who successfully complete a Board-approved dental hygiene licensure examination administered by this Board and who have not yet successfully completed the National Board Dental Hygiene Examinations of the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (hereinafter referred to as "National Board") shall be required to have successfully completed the National Board on or before December 31 of the same year in which they successfully completed a Board-approved dental hygiene licensure examination; otherwise, the Board-approved licensure examination scores for these candidates will expire on January 1, and these candidates shall be required to successfully complete another Board-approved dental hygiene licensure examination in order to become licensed in this State.

C. Candidates who successfully complete a Board-approved dental licensure examination administered by this Board and who have not yet successfully completed Part II of the National Board Examinations of the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (Part II) shall be required to have successfully completed Part II on or before December 31 of the same year in which they successfully completed a Board-approved dental licensure examination; otherwise, the Board-approved licensure examination scores for these candidates shall expire on January 1, and these candidates shall be required to successfully complete another Board-approved dental licensure examination in order to become licensed in this State. However, candidates who are enrolled and actively participating in dental residency programs accredited by the American Dental Association (ADA) during this same time period and who have not successfully completed Part II on or before December 31 of that same year, shall not have their scores voided on January 1, but shall be allowed additional time for the Board to be in receipt of proof of successful completion of Part II, such additional time period not to extend beyond the first day of the date established for the next regularly scheduled Board-approved dental licensure examination. If proof of successful completion of Part II has not been received by the Board on or before the first day of the date established for the next regularly scheduled Board-approved dental licensure examination, the scores for the previous year's Board-approved dental licensure examination shall expire, and these candidates shall be required to successfully complete another Board-approved dental licensure examination in order to become licensed in this State.

Notes

30 Miss. Code. R. 2301-1.14

Miss. Code Ann. § 73-9-19.

Regulation Fourteen adopted by the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners on March 10, 1978; amended January 17, 1985; amended January 19, 1990; amended September 13, 1991; amended September 25, 1992; amended January 22, 1999; amended November 21, 2003; amended April 14, 2006; amended May 8, 2009; amended February 1, 2013.