via the AADB Compact, they must meet all ongoing licensure requirements in all states in which they are licensed, as is currently the case for professionals holding licenses in multiple states.
What You Need to Know About the DDHC While its name may lead some to believe the CSG is a governmental organization or agency, it is an independent organization that works with state government officials and other organizations on a variety of issues, one of which is occupational licensure. For example, through its National Center for Interstate Compacts (NCIC)5 in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor, the NCIC “works with state government officials to strengthen the portability of occupational licenses and remove duplicative and overly burdensome requirements.”6 In the case of the DDHC, the CSG partnered with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) as part of a broader initiative to support interstate licensure compacts for military families. Other occupation interstate compacts that are part of the collaboration between the CSG and DOD include interstate compacts for teachers,7 social workers8 and school psychologists.9 In 2021 the CSG and DOD entered a partnership with the ADA, and the American Dental Hygienists’ Association to draft a model compact legislation, which was completed and made available to stakeholders for public comment in 2022. In 2023, the DDHC was then available for introduction as legislation in individual states. The precise language of the DDHC is available here: ddhcompact.org/wp-content/ uploads/sites/31/2024/06/Dentist_DentalHygienist-Compact-Model-Language_Final. pdf. The DDHC facilitates the process for dentists to practice in multiple states without having to obtain separate licenses in each state, provided they meet the requirements set forth in the compact. However, under the DDHC, professionals licensed in one compact state are not entitled to a license in another compact state. Under the
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DDHC, a professional meeting the compact requirements can receive the privilege to practice in another compact state. To be eligible for a compact privilege under the DDHC, a dentist or dental hygienist must show the following: • A license with no disciplinary action in a state that has joined the compact. • Graduation from a predoctoral dental education program accredited by the National Board Examination of the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations; or a dental hygiene education program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). • Having not been convicted or found guilty, or entered into an agreed disposition, of a felony offense under applicable state or federal criminal law within five years prior to the date of their application. • Passage of the National Board Examination. • Completion of a “clinical assessment” (defined as “examination or process, required for licensure as a dentist or dental hygienist as applicable, that provides evidence of clinical competence in dentistry or dental hygiene for licensure”). • Completion of a background check prior to obtaining their qualifying license. • Completion of any jurisprudence requirements established by the license state. • Payment of all required fees. • Report to the commission of any adverse action taken by any nonparticipating (noncompact) state.10 Under CSG rules, “activation” of the DDHC could not begin until the model legislation had been adopted in seven states, which occurred April 22, 2024, with the passage of DDHC by the state of Maine. As of this writing, the DDHC has become law in: • Colorado • Washington • Kansas • Minnesota • Iowa • Wisconsin • Maine • Ohio • Virginia • Tennessee • Arkansas
The following states are considering passage of the DDHC: • Oregon • Nevada • Arizona • Nebraska • Oklahoma • Texas • Missouri • Indiana • Pennsylvania • New Jersey • Vermont • New Hampshire • Massachusetts The DDHC is now ready for “activation,” but there are still significant steps on the implementation timeline (see “What’s Next” section below).
What You Need to Know About the AADB Compact The AADB is a national organization representing state dental boards. Unlike the DDHC, the AADB Compact draft legislation creates a centralized mechanism for dentists and dental hygienists to obtain and maintain licensure in multiple states. The full text of the AADB Compact can be found here: aadbcompact.org/wp-content/ uploads/2024/11/IDDHL-CompactOfficial-Final-version2-11-13-2024.pdf. In order for a dentist licensed in an AADB Compact state to receive a license in another AADB Compact state, they must: • Graduate from a CODA-approved dental school. • Pass the ADEX dental licensure exam; or have been in practice five years or more and passed a regional board examination or equivalent state-administered psycho motor licensure examination prior to Jan. 1, 2024. • Pass the written National Dental Board Exam administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations. • Possess a “full and unrestricted dental license” issued by an AADB Compact State Dental Board. • Never have been “convicted or received adjudication, deferred adjudication, community supervision, or deferred disposition for any offense (other than traffic offenses) by a court of appropriate jurisdiction.”