Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia › Department 150 - RULES OF GEORGIA BOARD OF DENTISTRY › Chapter 150-7 - OTHER LICENSES › Rule 150-7-.03 - Volunteers in Dentistry

Current through Rules and Regulations filed through June 27, 2024
(1) The
			 Board may issue volunteer licenses in its discretion when it has identified an
			 area of this state in which there is an urgent, unfilled need for dental and/or
			 dental hygiene services, and when it has located a competent dentist or dental
			 hygienist to fulfill such need. In granting these volunteer licenses, the Board
			 shall observe the following criteria:
(a) Need
			 of the Community. A volunteer license shall be issued for the purpose of
			 serving indigent patients in areas of this state in which there is inadequate
			 personnel to supply dental or dental hygiene services. In determining what
			 constitutes an inadequate supply of dental or dental hygiene personnel, the
			 Board shall consider various factors, including the dentist-patient ratio or
			 the dental hygienist-patient ratio in the area in question, the distance
			 between patients and any existing dentist or dental hygienist, the
			 maldistribution of particular types of specialty care, and any other factors
			 which are indicative of an absence of adequate dental or dental hygiene
			 services in or reasonably accessible to the area in question. Any group or
			 groups of persons seeking to secure such a dentist or dental hygienist for a
			 community shall supply the Board with all information necessary for it to make
			 a determination as to the existence of all the foregoing factors.
(b) Qualifications of a Georgia Licensed
			 Dentist.
1. The dentist or dental hygienist
			 must submit an application for a volunteer license to the Board and must be
			 retired from the practice of dentistry or dental hygiene and not currently
			 engaged in such practice either full time or part time, and has prior to
			 retirement maintained full licensure in good standing in dentistry or dental
			 hygiene, or is currently licensed to practice dentistry or dental hygiene in
			 the State of Georgia and whose license is unrestricted and in good standing.
			 This license to practice dentistry or dental hygiene must have been held at
			 least five years while engaged in clinical practice. Applicants must not have
			 failed a clinical licensing exam within the past five years.
2. As a condition precedent to a volunteer
			 license being issued, after five (5) years have passed without the applicant
			 being engaged in the direct observation and treatment of patients, the Board,
			 in its discretion, may require a refresher course or the passage of an
			 examination administered by the board or a testing agency designated and
			 approved by the board.
3. The
			 applicant dentist or dental hygienist may be asked to submit a statement from a
			 physician attesting to the applicant's physical and mental capacity;
4. The applicant must show proof of current
			 CPR certification;
5. If the
			 applicant is not in compliance with the continuing education requirements
			 established by the Board at the time application is made for the volunteer
			 license (which is forty (40) hours for dentists and twenty-two (22) hours for
			 dental hygienists of continuing education within the last two (2) years
			 including CPR at the basic life support level), the applicant may be issued a
			 nonrenewable temporary license to practice for six months provided the
			 applicant is otherwise qualified for such license.
6. There shall be no application or licensing
			 fee for initial issuance of a volunteer license.
(c) Qualifications of an Out-of-State
			 Licensed Dentist.
1. The dentist or dental
			 hygienist must submit an application for a volunteer license to the Board and
			 must be retired from the practice of dentistry or dental hygiene and not
			 currently engaged in such practice either full time or part time, and has prior
			 to retirement maintained full licensure in good standing in dentistry or dental
			 hygiene, or is currently licensed to practice dentistry or dental hygiene in
			 any licensing jurisdiction in the U.S. and whose license is unrestricted and in
			 good standing. This license to practice dentistry or dental hygiene must have
			 been issued by a licensing authority following successful completion of a
			 clinical licensing examination, approved by the board and must have been held
			 at least five years while engaged in clinical practice. Applicants must not
			 have failed a clinical licensing exam within the past five years.
2. As a condition precedent to a volunteer
			 license being issued, after five (5) years have passed without the applicant
			 being engaged in the direct observation and treatment of patients, the Board,
			 in its discretion, may require a refresher course or the passage of an
			 examination administered by the board or a testing agency designated and
			 approved by the board.
3. The
			 applicant dentist or dental hygienist may be asked to submit a statement from a
			 physician attesting to the applicant's physical and mental capacity;
4. The applicant must show proof of current
			 CPR certification;
5. If the
			 applicant is not in compliance with the continuing education requirements
			 established by the Board at the time application is made for the volunteer
			 license (which is forty (40) hours for dentists and twenty-two (22) hours for
			 dental hygienists of continuing education within the last two (2) years
			 including CPR at the basic life support level), the applicant may be issued a
			 nonrenewable temporary license to practice for six months provided the
			 applicant is otherwise qualified for such license.
6. All applicants must show passage with a
			 score of 75 or higher on a jurisprudence examination on the laws and rules
			 governing the practice of dentistry/dental hygiene in the State of Georgia.
			 Such examination shall be administered in the English language;
7. There shall be no application or licensing
			 fee for initial issuance of a volunteer license.
(d) Dental Hygienists are subject to all
			 provisions of supervision per O.C.G.A. §
									43-11-74 and Rule
			 150-5-.03.
(e) Renewal of a volunteer license.
1. Volunteer licenses shall expire at the
			 close of December 31 in all odd-numbered years, and shall be administratively
			 revoked for failure to renew on July 1 of the following even-numbered
			 year.
2. There shall be no renewal
			 fee for licensees holding a volunteer in dentistry license.
3. Licenses which have been administratively
			 lapsed for non-renewal shall be reinstated only at the discretion of the
			 board;
4. Holders of a volunteer in
			 dentistry license are subject to continuing education requirements as outlined
			 in Board Rule
			 150-3-.10.
5. Holders of a volunteer in dental hygiene
			 license are subject to continuing education requirements as outlined in Board
			 Rule 150-3-.10.
(f) Any other provisions of Chapter 11, Title
			 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated not inconsistent with the intent
			 and purpose of the special license statute shall be fully applicable to all
			 specially licensed dentists.