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    Public Health Dental Hygiene Practitioner Licensure Requirements Snapshot

    Pennsylvania Licensure Requirements

    Associate's Degree

    2 Examinations

    3,600 hours of practice

    5 Hours of Continuing Education

    $80.00 Initial Fee

    $50.00 Renewal Fee

    A licensed dental hygienist who may perform educational, preventive, therapeutic and intra-oral procedures which the hygienist is educated to perform and which require the hygienist's professional competence and skill but which do not require the professional competence and skill of a dentist without the authorization, assignment or examination of a dentist, and who is certified by the State Board of Dentistry as having satisfied the requirements.

    Degree Requirement: 

    Associate's Degree - Candidates for certification as a Public Health Dental Hygiene Practitioner must comply with licensure as  a Dental Hygienist (Associate's degree).

    Examination Requirement: 

    2 Examinations Required - Candidates for licensure as a Dental Hygienists shall pass the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (written examination) and the dental hygiene clinical examination administered by one of the following:

    1. The North East Regional Board of Dental Examiners, Inc. (NERB).
    2. The Southern Regional Testing Agency, Inc. (SRTA).
    3. The Western Regional Examining Board (WREB).
    4. The Central Regional Dental Testing Service, Inc. (CRDTS).
    5. The Council of Interstate Testing Agencies, Inc. (CITA).

    Experience: 

    3,600 hours - To qualify for certification as a Public Health Dental Hygiene Practitioner, the applicant must provide to the Board a certification statement signed by a licensed dentist verifying that the dental hygienist has completed 3,600 hours of practice as a licensed dental hygienist under the supervision of the licensed dentist.

    Continuing Education (when renewing license):

    5 hours - A public health dental hygiene practitioner shall complete 5 of the required 20 hours of continuing education (to comply with Dental Hygienist requirements) in public health-related courses.

    Initial Licensing Fee: 

    $80.00

    Licensure Renewal Fee: 

    $50.00 Biennial renewal of license.

    Licensure by Act 41:

    Act 41 allows for portability of out-of-state professional licensees coming to work in Pennsylvania. Act 41 does this by granting all boards and commissions within the Commonwealth the authority to endorse licensees from other states, territories or jurisdictions (with substantially equivalent licensing requirements) who are active, in good standing and without discipline against their license or criminal conviction.