Clinical and National Board Exams
Hawaii is a member state of the Central Regional Dental Testing Service (CRDTS). At least once a year, CRDTS personnel administer a national dental hygiene exam in Hawaii. This is the clinical component of examination for licensure, performed on a live patient. The applicant registers directly with CRDTS to take the exam.
After passing the National Board Dental Hygiene Exam, the written component of examination, the applicant files an application for Hawaii licensure and submits documentation of meeting the requirements.
In the state of Hawaii, dental hygiene licenses are regulated under the Board of Dentistry within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) Professional and Vocational Licensing Division (PVL).
Block Local Anesthesia Information
Certification in the administration of intra-oral infiltration and block local anesthesia is prerequisite to apply for Hawaii dental hygiene licensure.
HDHA sponsors certification courses but applicants are not restricted to only taking a certification course in Hawaii. However, it is strongly recommended that a certification course not given in Hawaii be submitted to the regulatory agency, the Hawaii Board of Dental Examiners, for prior approval. Applicants are advised to have a clear understanding of the stringent and specific criteria regarding the number of hours, number of injections, and specific type of injections required by Hawaii law and rules.