Board of Dentistry

Licensure Information

Requests for verification of licensure to other states may be requested by email to dental.health@tn.gov.  Please provide your name, profession, license number and the mailing address for the other state board in the emailed request.

Renewal and Jurisprudence Exam Instructions

The renewal application is not generated until approximately 60 days prior to the expiration of the license.  The jurisprudence exam cannot be accessed until the application is generated.

The Board of Dentistry administrative office is receiving multiple calls and emails regarding the new renewal system and the jurisprudence examination.  Please read the following information to assist you in renewing and completing the exam.

Renewal:

♦     The first time you access the Licensure and Regulatory System site, you need to click on Begin Here For Sign-Up  to create your account.  This account is not the same account as the jurisprudence exam account.  Even if you renewed online in the past, if you have not accessed the new system since it begin March 23, 2018, then you will need to create an account.

       o   Make your User ID something that you will remember, such as your email address.

       o   If you applied for initial licensure online, you can use the same account you created to apply online to continue maintaining your license, including renewing.

♦     When you create your account, you must add your current license(s) to the account if you are already a licensee.  If you do not add your current license(s) to the account, you will not be given any option except to apply for a new license.

♦      After you create an account, please remember what User ID and Password that you used so you can access the system in the future.

       o   There is a Forgot password and Forgot user ID function if needed.

       o   Other features of the online system are:

           *  Change your addresses, include email addresses with the Change of Address application.

           *  Change your name with the Change of Name application.  You must attach your marriage certificate or divorce decree.

           *  Request a duplicate wall license or renewal certificate.

           *  Dentists can update their practitioner profiles.

           *  Dentists can apply for sedation or anesthesia permits.

           *  Dental assistants can apply for certifications to be added to their license.

           *  More applications will be added in the future.

       o   We cannot take debit/credit cards over the phone or in office.  You can pay online by debit/credit card or by e-check.

♦      If the Department of Revenue has notified the board that your privilege tax is unpaid, the board cannot renew your license until a tax clearance letter is received.  This only applied to dentists who did not pay the tax timely.   The Board cannot take payments for the Privilege Tax, you must contact the Department of Revenue at 615-741-7071.

♦     Can a third party manage my professional license?

       o   For this online system, only one account can be created for a professional license.  Once an account is created that links a professional license, the person creating the account will have access based upon the use id and password used to establish the account.  If done by a third party, the licensee, without knowledge of the user id and password, will not be able to manage their professional license using this online system.  During business hours, you can contact your board to disassociate your license from an online account established by a third party.   However, weekends and holidays may be particularly problematic  if you do not know the account details to manage your license through this online system.  We do not advise management of  your professional license by a third party. The law requires a licensee to maintain current information with their licensure  board.  Failure to do so could result in a disciplinary action by the board.

Jurisprudence Exam:

♦     All dental professionals must complete the exam before your license will be renewed, reinstated/reactivated or issued initially.

♦     The jurisprudence exam is on the statutes, rules and regulations for the dental professions.

♦     It is an “open book” exam with a link to the statutes, rules and regulations that can be accessed while you take the exam.

♦     Until the Jurisprudence exam is completed, your license will not be renewed.

       o   The Jurisprudence exam cannot be taken until 60-65 days prior to your expiration date.

       o   Exam completions will not be recorded in the license system until the next business day after completion of the exam.

       o   The jurisprudence exam is not a pass or fail exam, you just have to get a total of 25 questions correct.  Upon completion you will get a screen saying “congratulations, you have successfully completed the exam” which means they have completed the exam. If you do not get that screen, you are not finished.  

            *  You do not need to contact the board office to find out if you passed.  If you do not receive the “congratulations” screen, then you have not completed the exam.  There is no “score” for the exam, just completion by correctly answering 25 questions.

            *  There have been several licensees that have called and want board staff to help them answer the exam questions.  We will not assist in answering the questions.  Each exam question has the statute or rule that the question is from listed so you can look up the answers yourself.

            *  If you have two active licenses (i.e. dental hygiene and dental assistant) then you will need to complete the exam twice.  Some questions are general questions that apply to all professions but the majority of the questions are profession specific.

♦     You do not need to fax, email, or mail us that confirmation screen.  We receive the results for those that completed the exam on  the next business day.

♦     The exam system will email you and it will include your password.  Your email address is your username.  The exam system is a separate system from the renewal system and passwords are not the same.

♦     The password includes your license number.  License numbers are 3 – 5 numbers in length, depending on how long you have been licensed.  Do not include the leading “0’s” in the license number.

♦      If the link to the exam is not working, or if you have made too many attempts to log-in to the exam with the link in the exam email, you need to go to Jurisprudence Exam link above and attempt to access the exam from that page.

♦     The jurisprudence exam must be taken online.  There is no “paper” version of the exam.