- Helpful Tips Regarding the Licensing Process
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The Colorado State Board of Dental Examiners conducts a thorough evaluation of a number of items, including basic dental/dental hygiene credentials, national, regional and/or state examination results, malpractice history, and criminal or disciplinary history. This process takes time - anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending mostly upon how quickly the applicant complies with what is requested of him/her and the nature of any problems requiring closer scrutiny. In spite of the fact that there is NO guarantee of licensure, some applicants make commitments to start work at a certain time and later find the commitment cannot be kept.
Please remember that the Board will not accelerate one application at the expense of another, nor will it forego any elements of its screening process.
The following suggestions are offered to help those who apply for licensure, as well as those who recruit dental service personnel, to avoid problems which can be costly:
- Allow the Board enough time to do its job. For something as important as a dental or dental hygiene license, two months lead time is not unreasonable.
- Don't make commitments on loans, practice start dates, home purchases, etc., until a license is granted and you have it in your possession. Not all dentists or dental hygienists who apply will receive a license, and others will be licensed only with restrictions. Don't set yourself or colleagues up for disappointment or financial setbacks based on mere speculation.
- Make sure all application materials are sent to the Board office, in accordance with the directions set forth in the application packet. Application requirements are set to comply with the dental practice law of Colorado. Do not assume that an exception will be made or that a requirement will be waived for you.
- If there are items on the application about which the Board desires additional information, or if there is a malpractice history, the application will take longer to get through the review process.
- We recommend that applicants handle their own applications without delegating this task to someone else. In our experience, delegation frequently does not work well. When things break down, it is the applicant who suffers. The process seems to work more smoothly when individual applicants personally take charge of the process.
Forms: All Colorado Dental applications and forms are available below:
- Dentist Applications and Forms
- Dental Hygienist Applications and Forms
- Dental Therapist Applications and Forms
- Academic Dentist Applications and Forms
Communication from the Division: The Division of Professions and Occupations' primary communication is via email. Please be sure to include your current email address on your application to receive important information about your application status and process.
License Expiration Bump Period for New Applicants: All new applicants who are issued a license within 120 days of the upcoming renewal expiration date will be issued a license with the next expiration date.
License Renewal Information: All Colorado Dentist and Dental Hygienist licenses expire on the last day of February of even-numbered years. View your expiration date on your online account. Please note that renewals open approximately six weeks prior to the expiration date.