DENTAL LICENSURE EXAMINATIONS

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB4978

Introduced , by Rep. Bob Morgan

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

225 ILCS 25/9

from Ch. 111, par. 2309
225 ILCS 25/10

from Ch. 111, par. 2310
225 ILCS 25/13

from Ch. 111, par. 2313
225 ILCS 25/16.1

from Ch. 111, par. 2316.1
225 ILCS 25/17.1

Amends the Illinois Dental Practice Act. In provisions concerning the
qualifications of applicants for dental licenses and dental hygienist
licenses, provides that each applicant shall present satisfactory evidence
that the applicant has passed the integrated National Board Dental
Examination administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental
Examinations and has successfully completed an examination conducted by
the Central Regional Dental Testing Service, Inc. (CRDTS) or the American
Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX). Provides that an applicant who has
passed the integrated National Board Dental Examination or the National
Board Dental Hygiene Examination, respectively, and who has, prior to
January 1, 2026, successfully completed an examination conducted by the
States Resources for Testing and Assessments, Inc. (SRTA) (formerly,
Southern Regional Testing Agency, Inc.), the Western Regional Examining
Board (WREB), the Commission on Dental Competency Assessments (CDCA), or
the North East Regional Board of Dental Examiners (NERB) shall be eligible
to apply for licensure. In provisions concerning examinations for dental
licensure, provides that both theoretical and psychomotor (rather than
practical) examinations shall be of a character to give a fair test of the
qualifications of the applicant to practice dentistry. In provisions
concerning expanded function dental assistants, provides that a dental
assistant may perform certain services if the dental assistant has
completed the training requirements for the service or services. Makes
other changes. Effective July 1, 2026.
LRB104 16877 AAS 30287 b

A BILL FOR

HB4978
LRB104 16877 AAS 30287 b
1

AN ACT concerning regulation.

2

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3
represented in the General Assembly:

4

Section 5.
The Illinois Dental Practice Act is amended by
5
changing Sections 9, 10, 13, 16.1, and 17.1 as follows:

6

(225 ILCS 25/9)

(from Ch. 111, par. 2309)
7

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2031)
8

Sec. 9.
Qualifications of applicants for dental licenses.
9
The Department shall require that each applicant for a license
10
to practice dentistry shall:
11

(a) (Blank).
12

(b) Be at least 21 years of age and of good moral
13

character.
14

(c) (1) Present satisfactory evidence of completion of
15

dental education by graduation from a dental college or
16

school in the United States or Canada approved by the
17

Department. The Department shall not approve any dental
18

college or school which does not require at least (A) 60
19

semester hours of collegiate credit or the equivalent in
20

acceptable subjects from a college or university before
21

admission, and (B) completion of at least 4 academic years
22

of instruction or the equivalent in an approved dental
23

college or school that is accredited by the Commission on

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LRB104 16877 AAS 30287 b
1

Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association;
2

or
3

(2) Present satisfactory evidence of completion of
4

dental education by graduation from a dental college or
5

school outside the United States or Canada and provide
6

satisfactory evidence that the applicant has: (A)
7

completed a minimum of 2 academic years of general dental
8

clinical training and obtained a doctorate of dental
9

surgery (DDS) or doctorate of dental medicine (DMD) at a
10

dental college or school in the United States or Canada
11

approved by the Department; or (B) met the program
12

requirements approved by rule by the Department.
13

Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prevent
14

either the Department or any dental college or school from
15

establishing higher standards than specified in this Act.
16

(d) (Blank).
17

(e) Present satisfactory evidence that the applicant
18

has passed the integrated National Board Dental
19

Examination administered by the Joint Commission on
20

National Dental Examinations and has successfully
21

completed an examination conducted by
one of the following
22

regional testing services:
the Central Regional Dental
23

Testing Service, Inc. (CRDTS)
or the American Board of
24

Dental Examiners (ADEX).

, the Southern Regional Testing
25

Agency, Inc. (SRTA), the Western Regional Examining Board
26

(WREB), the Commission on Dental Competency Assessments

HB4978
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LRB104 16877 AAS 30287 b
1

(CDCA), or the Council of Interstate Testing Agencies
2

(CITA).

An applicant who has passed the integrated
3

National Board Dental Examination and who has, prior to
4

January 1, 2026, successfully completed an examination
5

conducted by the States Resources for Testing and
6

Assessments, Inc. (SRTA) (formerly, Southern Regional
7

Testing Agency, Inc.), the Western Regional Examining
8

Board (WREB), the Commission on Dental Competency
9

Assessments (CDCA), or the North East Regional Board of
10

Dental Examiners (NERB) shall be eligible to apply for
11

licensure.
For purposes of this Section,
"successfully
12

completed" means

successful completion shall mean
that the
13

applicant has achieved a minimum passing score as
14

determined by the applicable regional testing service. The
15

Secretary may suspend a regional testing service under
16

this subsection (e) if, after proper notice and hearing,
17

it is established that (i) the integrity of the
18

examination has been breached so as to make future test
19

results unreliable or (ii) the test is fundamentally
20

deficient in testing clinical competency.
21

In determining professional capacity under this Section,
22
any individual who has not been actively engaged in the
23
practice of dentistry, has not been a dental student, or has
24
not been engaged in a formal program of dental education
25
during the 5 years immediately preceding the filing of an
26
application may be required to complete such additional

HB4978
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LRB104 16877 AAS 30287 b
1
testing, training, or remedial education as the Board may deem
2
necessary in order to establish the applicant's present
3
capacity to practice dentistry with reasonable judgment,
4
skill, and safety.
5
(Source: P.A. 102-93, eff. 1-1-22
.)

6

(225 ILCS 25/10)

(from Ch. 111, par. 2310)
7

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2031)
8

Sec. 10.
Examinations for dental licensure.
Examination
9
shall be made in writing in all theoretical subjects. Both
10
theoretical and
psychomotor

practical
examinations shall be of
11
a character to give a fair test of the qualifications of the
12
applicant to practice dentistry. The examination papers and
13
all grading thereon, and the grading of the practical work,
14
shall be deemed public documents, and preserved for a period
15
of not less than 2 years after the Department shall have made
16
and published its decisions thereon. All examinations shall be
17
conducted or authorized under fair and wholly impartial
18
methods.
19
(Source: P.A. 84-365
.)

20

(225 ILCS 25/13)

(from Ch. 111, par. 2313)
21

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2031)
22

Sec. 13.
Qualifications of applicants for dental
hygienist
23
licenses

hygienists
.
Every person who desires to obtain a
24
license as a dental hygienist shall apply to the Department in

HB4978
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LRB104 16877 AAS 30287 b
1
writing, upon forms prepared and furnished by the Department.
2
Each application shall contain proof of the particular
3
qualifications required of the applicant, shall be verified by
4
the applicant, under oath, and shall be accompanied by the
5
required examination fee.
6

The Department shall require that every applicant for a
7
license as a dental hygienist shall:
8

(1) (Blank).
9

(2) Be a graduate of high school or its equivalent.
10

(3) Present satisfactory evidence of having
11

successfully completed 2 academic years of credit at a
12

dental hygiene program accredited by the Commission on
13

Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association.
14

(4) Submit evidence that the applicant holds a
15

currently valid certification to perform cardiopulmonary
16

resuscitation. The Department shall adopt rules
17

establishing criteria for certification in cardiopulmonary
18

resuscitation. The rules of the Department shall provide
19

for variances only in instances where the applicant is a
20

person with a physical disability and therefore unable to
21

secure such certification.
22

(5) (Blank).
23

(6) Present satisfactory evidence that the applicant
24

has passed the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination
25

administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental
26

Examinations and has successfully completed an examination

HB4978
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LRB104 16877 AAS 30287 b
1

conducted by
one of the following regional testing
2

services:
the Central Regional Dental Testing Service,
3

Inc. (CRDTS)
or the American Board of Dental Examiners
4

(ADEX).

, the Southern Regional Testing Agency, Inc.
5

(SRTA), the Western Regional Examining Board (WREB), or
6

the North East Regional Board (NERB).

An applicant who has
7

passed the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination
8

administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental
9

Examinations and who has, prior to January 1, 2026,
10

successfully completed an examination conducted by the
11

States Resources for Testing and Assessments, Inc. (SRTA)
12

(formerly, Southern Regional Testing Agency, Inc.), the
13

Western Regional Examining Board (WREB), the Commission on
14

Dental Competency Assessments (CDCA), or the North East
15

Regional Board (NERB) shall be eligible to apply for
16

licensure.
For the purposes of this Section,
"successfully
17

completed" means

successful completion shall mean
that the
18

applicant has achieved a minimum passing score as
19

determined by the applicable regional testing service. The
20

Secretary may suspend a regional testing service under
21

this item (6) if, after proper notice and hearing, it is
22

established that (i) the integrity of the examination has
23

been breached so as to make future test results unreliable
24

or (ii) the examination is fundamentally deficient in
25

testing clinical competency.
26
(Source: P.A. 104-151, eff. 1-1-26
.)

HB4978
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LRB104 16877 AAS 30287 b
1

(225 ILCS 25/16.1)

(from Ch. 111, par. 2316.1)
2

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2031)
3

Sec. 16.1.
Continuing education.
The Department shall
4
promulgate rules of continuing education for persons licensed
5
under this Act. In establishing rules, the Department shall
6
require a minimum of 48 hours of study in approved courses for
7
dentists during each 3-year licensing period and a minimum of
8
36 hours of study in approved courses for dental hygienists
9
during each 3-year licensing period.
10

The Department shall approve only courses that are
11
relevant to the treatment and care of patients, including, but
12
not limited to, clinical courses in dentistry and dental
13
hygiene and nonclinical courses such as patient management,
14
legal and ethical responsibilities, and stress management. The
15
Department shall allow up to 4 hours of continuing education
16
credit hours per license renewal period for volunteer hours
17
spent providing clinical services at, or sponsored by, a
18
nonprofit community clinic, local or state health department,
19
or a charity event. Courses shall not be approved in such
20
subjects as estate and personal financial planning, personal
21
investments, or personal health. Approved courses may include,
22
but shall not be limited to, courses that are offered or
23
sponsored by approved colleges, universities, and hospitals
24
and by recognized national, State, and local dental and dental
25
hygiene organizations
, such as the Illinois State Dental

HB4978
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LRB104 16877 AAS 30287 b
1
Society
. When offering a continuing education course, whether
2
at no cost or for a fee, the course provider shall explicitly
3
disclose that the course is an approved course for continuing
4
education in the State of Illinois, as provided in this
5
Section or by the rules adopted by the Department.
6

No license shall be renewed unless the renewal application
7
is accompanied by an affidavit indicating that the applicant
8
has completed the required minimum number of hours of
9
continuing education in approved courses as required by this
10
Section. The affidavit shall not require a listing of courses.
11
The affidavit shall be a prima facie evidence that the
12
applicant has obtained the minimum number of required
13
continuing education hours in approved courses. The Department
14
shall not be obligated to conduct random audits or otherwise
15
independently verify that an applicant has met the continuing
16
education requirement. The Department, however, may not
17
conduct random audits of more than 10% of the licensed
18
dentists and dental hygienists in any one licensing cycle to
19
verify compliance with continuing education requirements. If
20
the Department, however, receives a complaint that a licensee
21
has not completed the required continuing education or if the
22
Department is investigating another alleged violation of this
23
Act by a licensee, the Department may demand and shall be
24
entitled to receive evidence from any licensee of completion
25
of required continuing education courses for the most recently
26
completed 3-year licensing period. Evidence of continuing

HB4978
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LRB104 16877 AAS 30287 b
1
education may include, but is not limited to, canceled checks,
2
official verification forms of attendance, and continuing
3
education recording forms, that demonstrate a reasonable
4
record of attendance. The Board shall determine, in accordance
5
with rules adopted by the Department, whether a licensee or
6
applicant has met the continuing education requirements. Any
7
dentist who holds more than one license under this Act shall be
8
required to complete only the minimum number of hours of
9
continuing education required for renewal of a single license.
10
The Department may provide exemptions from continuing
11
education requirements.
12
(Source: P.A. 103-425, eff. 1-1-24
.)

13

(225 ILCS 25/17.1)
14

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2031)
15

Sec. 17.1.
Expanded function dental assistants.
16

(a) A dental assistant who has completed training as
17
provided in subsection (b) of this Section in all of the
18
following areas may hold himself or herself out as an expanded
19
function dental assistant:
20

(1) Taking material or digital scans for final
21

impressions after completing a training program that
22

includes either didactic objectives or clinical skills and
23

functions that demonstrate competency.
24

(2) Performing pulp vitality test after completing a
25

training program that includes either didactic objectives

HB4978
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LRB104 16877 AAS 30287 b
1

or clinical skills and functions that demonstrate
2

competency.
3

(3) Placing, carving, and finishing of amalgam
4

restorations and placing, packing, and finishing composite
5

restorations as allowed under Section 17.
6

(3.5) Coronal scaling as allowed under Section 17.
7

(4) Starting the flow of oxygen and monitoring of
8

nitrous oxide-oxygen analgesia as allowed under Section
9

17.
10

(5) Coronal polishing and pit and fissure sealants as
11

allowed under Section 17.
12

(6) Intracoronal temporization of a tooth.
13

All procedures listed in paragraphs (1) through (6) for
14
dental assistants must be performed under the supervision of a
15
dentist, requiring the dentist authorizes the procedure,
16
remains in the dental facility while the procedure is
17
performed, and approves the work performed by the dental
18
assistant before dismissal of the patient, but the dentist is
19
not required to be present at all times in the treatment room.
20

A dental assistant may perform any of the services listed
21
in paragraphs (1) through (6) if the dental assistant has
22
completed the training requirements for the service or
23
services.

24

After the completion of training as provided in subsection
25
(b) of this Section, an expanded function dental assistant may
26
perform any of the services listed in this subsection (a)

HB4978
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LRB104 16877 AAS 30287 b
1
pursuant to the limitations of this Act.
2

(b) Certification and training as an expanded function
3
dental assistant must be obtained from one of the following
4
sources: (i) an approved continuing education sponsor; (ii) a
5
dental assistant training program approved by the Commission
6
on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association; or
7
(iii) a training program approved by the Department.
8

Training required under this subsection (b) must also
9
include Basic Life Support certification, as described in
10
Section 16 of this Act. Proof of current certification shall
11
be kept on file with the supervising dentist.
12

(c) Any procedures listed in subsection (a) that are
13
performed by an expanded function dental assistant must be
14
approved by the supervising dentist and examined prior to
15
dismissal of the patient. The supervising dentist shall be
16
responsible for all dental services or procedures performed by
17
the dental assistant.
18

(d) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to alter
19
the number of dental assistants that a dentist may supervise
20
under paragraph (g) of Section 17 of this Act.
21

(e) Nothing in this Act shall: (1) require a dental
22
assistant to be certified as an expanded function dental
23
assistant or (2) prevent a dentist from training dental
24
assistants in accordance with the provisions of Section 17 or
25
17.1 of this Act or rules pertaining to dental assistant
26
duties.

HB4978
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LRB104 16877 AAS 30287 b
1
(Source: P.A. 101-162, eff. 7-26-19; 102-936, eff. 1-1-23
.)

2

Section 99.
Effective date.
This Act takes effect on July
3
1, 2026.

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