The North Dakota State Board of Dental Examiners is a part of the North Dakota State goverment. It is a regulatory agency. The Board protects the dental health of the citizens of North Dakota by regulating the practice of dentistry, dental hygiene, and dental assisting through the enforcement of laws, rules and policies. Those laws are approved and put in place by the North Dakota Legislative Assembly and the Governor. The Board may suggest, draft, and propose changes to the laws.
The Territorial Legislature in 1885 declared it unlawful to practice dentistry within the territory until a certificate was obtained from the Board of Examiners (T. L. 1885, Ch. 43). On April 10, 1885, the North Dakota Board of Dental Examiners registered their first licensee. The Board of Examiners consisted of five practicing dentists two of whom were appointed by the Governor from a list provided by the South Dakota Dental Society and the Northwestern Dental Association. When North Dakota became a state in 1889 the North Dakota Legislature expanded the duties of the newly formed State Board of Dental Examiners to ensure better education and regulation for the practice of dental surgery and the general practice of dentistry.
In 1911 dentistry was defined as performing dental operations of any kind on the teeth, treating diseased lesions of the human jaw, replacing lost teeth with artificial ones, or attempting to correct the “malposition” of teeth (S. L. 1911, Ch. 280). As the functions of the profession changed and procedures became specialized laws were added or amended in order to keep current with the changes.
The scope of the Board's authority is determined by the Legislative Assembly and its primarily set forth in North Dakota Century Code Section 43-28 and Section 43-20, and in North Dakota Administrative Code Title 20. It licenses qualified and competent dentists, dental hygienists, and issues registrations to dental assistants.
The Boards powers include:
The Board does not have the power to:
It is important to understand the difference between the North Dakota State Board of Dental Examiners (Board) and private associations. Examples of private dental-related associations are: the American Dental Association (ADA); the North Dakota Dental Association (NDDA); the North Dakota Dental Assisting Association (NDDAA); and the North Dakota Dental Foundation (NDDF).
