DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

(Dental Quality Assurance Commission)

[Filed June 15, 2020, 1:57 p.m., effective June 15, 2020, 1:57 p.m.]

Effective Date of Rule: Immediately upon filing.

Purpose: WAC 246-817-120 Examination content, the dental quality assurance commission received a request from the University of Washington, School of Dentistry and other dental organizations to approve a new nonpatient based clinical exam. The Joint Commission on National Dental Examination's (JCNDE) Dental Licensure Objective Structured Clinical Examination (DLOSCE) is a practical/clinical examination that is computer-based and does not use live patients.

Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 246-817-120.

Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 18.32.0365.

Other Authority: RCW 18.32.040 and 18.32.002.

Under RCW 34.05.350 the agency for good cause finds that immediate adoption, amendment, or repeal of a rule is necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety, or general welfare, and that observing the time requirements of notice and opportunity to comment upon adoption of a permanent rule would be contrary to the public interest.

Reasons for this Finding: In response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, all regional, patient-based clinical dentist examinations are cancelled for 2020 in the United States. Graduating dentist students from the University of Washington and Oregon Health and Science University will be unable to obtain Washington state dentist licensure unless they take a practical/clinical examination.

Standard rule making takes approximately nine to twelve months. Since patient-based examinations are suspended for the remainder of the year, dentist students expecting to graduate in June 2020 will not have the ability to earn Washington state dentist licensure until next year. The JCNDE has been creating the DLOSCE since 2017 with a planned release in spring of 2021. In response to COVID-19, JCNDE announced an early release of the examination in June 2020. Adding DLOSCE to the list of allowable practical/clinical examinations will allow current graduates the opportunity to obtain Washington state dentist licensure while other examinations are temporarily unavailable.

The immediate amendment of these existing rules is necessary for the preservation of public health, safety, and general welfare. Observing the time requirements of notice and opportunity to comment upon adoption of a permanent rule would be contrary to protecting immediate public interests.

Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted at the Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's own Initiative: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.

Date Adopted: June 15, 2020.

Julia Richman D.D.S., Chairperson

Dental Quality Assurance Commission

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 19-15-094, filed 7/22/19, effective 8/22/19)

WAC 246-817-120Examination content.

(1) An applicant seeking dentist licensure in Washington by examination, must successfully pass a written and practical examination approved by the Dental Quality Assurance Commission (commission).

The examination will consist of:

(a) A written examination. The Integrated National Board Dental Examination, Parts I and II of the National Board Dental Examination, or the Canadian National Dental Examining Board examination will be accepted, except as provided in subsection (4) of this section.

(b) A practical examination containing at least the following sections:

(i) Restorative;

(ii) Endodontic;

(iii) Periodontal;

(iv) Prosthodontic; and

(v) Comprehensive treatment planning or diagnostic skills.

(2)(a) The commission accepts the following practical examinations provided the testing agency offers at least the sections listed in subsection (1)(b) of this section:

(i) The Western Regional Examining Board's (WREB) clinical examination;

(ii) The Central Regional Dental Testing Services (CRDTS) clinical examination;

(iii) The Commission on Dental Competency Assessments (CDCA) formally known as Northeast Regional Board (NERB) clinical examination;

(iv) The Southern Regional Testing Agency (SRTA) clinical examination;

(v) The Council of Interstate Testing Agency's (CITA) clinical examination;

(vi) U.S. state or territory with an individual state board clinical examination;

(vii) The Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations dental licensure objective structured clinical examination (DLOSCE); or

(b) The commission will accept the complete National Dental Examining Board (NDEB) of Canada clinical examination as meeting its standards if the applicant is a graduate of an approved dental school defined in WAC 246-817-110 (2)(a).

(3) The applicant must pass all sections listed in subsection (1)(b) of this section of the practical examination with the same testing agency.

(4) The commission will only accept results of approved practical examinations taken within the preceding five years from the date of an application for licensure.

(5) The commission may, at its discretion, give or require an examination in any other subject under subsection (1)(a) and (b) of this section, whether in written or practical form or both written and practical.