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
Universal Citation: GA Rules and Regs r 150-7-.03
Current through Rules and Regulations filed through March 20, 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.
O.C.G.A. §§ 43-11-7, 43-11-8, 43-11-52.
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