(1) No person who desires to practice dentistry or dental hygiene in the State of Mississippi shall be licensed until that person has passed an examination by the board. Applicants for examination shall apply in writing to the board for an examination at least thirty (30) days before the examination and shall upon application pay a nonrefundable fee as elsewhere provided in this chapter.

(2) An applicant for licensure by examination as a dentist who is a graduate of a dental school accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association (ADA), or its successor commission, shall:

(a) Be of good moral character, be possessed of a high school education, and have attained the age of twenty-one (21) years;

(b) Exhibit with the application a diploma or certificate of graduation from the ADA accredited dental school; and

(c) Have successfully completed Parts I and II of the National Board Examinations of the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, or its successor commission, unless the applicant graduated from an accredited dental school before 1960.

(3) An applicant for licensure by examination as a dentist who is a graduate of a non-ADA accredited foreign country dental school shall:

(a) Be of good moral character and have attained the age of twenty-one (21) years;

(b) Be proficient in oral and written communications in the English language;

(c) Have completed not less than six (6) academic years of postsecondary study and graduated from a foreign dental school that is recognized by the licensure authorities in that country;

(d) Have been licensed as a dentist or admitted to the practice of dentistry in the foreign country in which the applicant received foreign dental school training;

(e) Present documentation of having completed at least two (2) or more years of full-time postdoctoral dental education in a dental school accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association, or its successor commission, and has been certified by the dean of the accredited dental school as having achieved the same level of didactic and clinical competence as expected of a graduate of the school; and

(f) Have successfully completed Parts I and II of the National Board Examinations of the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, or its successor commission, unless the applicant graduated from an approved dental school before 1960.

(4) An applicant for licensure by examination as a dental hygienist who is a graduate of a dental hygiene school accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association (ADA), or its successor commission, shall:

(a) Be of good moral character, be possessed of a high school education and have attained the age of eighteen (18) years;

(b) Exhibit with the application a diploma or certificate of graduation from the ADA accredited dental hygiene school; and

(c) Have successfully completed the National Board Dental Hygiene Examinations of the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, or its successor commission.

(5) An applicant for licensure by examination as a dental hygienist who is a graduate of a non-ADA accredited foreign country dental hygiene school shall:

(a) Be of good moral character and have attained the age of eighteen (18) years;

(b) Be proficient in oral and written communications in the English language;

(c) Have completed not less than two (2) academic years of postsecondary study and graduated from a foreign dental hygiene school that is recognized by the licensure authorities in that country;

(d) Have been licensed as a dental hygienist or admitted to the practice of dental hygiene in the foreign country in which the applicant received foreign dental hygiene school training;

(e) Present documentation of having completed at least one or more years of full-time postgraduate clinical education in a dental hygiene school accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association, or its successor commission, and has been certified by the dean of the accredited dental hygiene school as having achieved the same level of didactic and clinical competence as expected of a graduate of the school; and

(f) Have successfully completed the National Board Dental Hygiene Examinations of the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, or its successor commission.

(6) Applications shall be made in the form and content as required in this section and as shall be prescribed by the board, and each applicant shall submit upon request such proof as the board may require as to age, character and qualifications. Applications must be signed by two (2) citizens of the state of which the applicant is a resident, attesting under oath that the applicant is of good moral character. All applicants for licensure shall submit an endorsement from all states in which he or she is currently licensed or has ever been licensed to practice dentistry or dental hygiene. The board may disallow the licensure examination to any applicant who has been found guilty of any of the grounds for disciplinary action as enumerated in Section 73-9-61.

(7) Examination shall be as elsewhere provided in this chapter and the board may by its rules and regulations prescribe reasonable professional standards for oral, written, clinical and other examinations given to applicants, and, if deemed necessary by the board, include a requirement that licensure examinations of applicants be conducted utilizing live human subjects. Each applicant shall appear before the board and be examined to determine his or her learning and skill in dentistry or dental hygiene. If found by the members of the board conducting the examination to possess sufficient learning and skill therein and to be of good moral character, the board shall, as early as practicable, grant to the person a license to practice dentistry or dental hygiene, as the case may be, which shall be signed by each member of the board who attended the examination and approved the issuance of a license.

(8) The Board of Dental Examiners may, at its own discretion, accept certification of a licensure applicant, either dentist or dental hygienist, by the National Board Examinations of the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, or its successor commission, in lieu of the written examination. However, in all such instances the board shall retain the right to administer such further written and practical examinations and demonstrations as it deems necessary.

(9) Each application or filing made under this section shall include the social security number(s) of the applicant in accordance with Section 93-11-64.