In order to be licensed, dental hygienists must complete an educational program and pass an examination approved by the Dental Hygiene Examining Committee.  A dental hygienist licensed in another state or a Canadian province may be temporarily licensed without examination if the applicant provides the Department of Health with certain documentation and information; demonstrates a knowledge of Washington law pertaining to the practice of dental hygiene; is currently engaged in active practice in their home state or province, which means at least 560 hours of practice in the preceding 24 months; pays required fees; and meets requirements for AIDS education.  The procedures a dental hygienist with an initial limited license may perform are restricted, although the holder of an initial limited license may obtain endorsements for local anesthesia, restorative procedures, or nitrous oxide analgesia.  The term for initial limited license is 18 months and it may be renewed upon demonstration of:

• successful passage of:
  • a substantively equivalent dental hygiene patient evaluation or prophylaxis examination;
  • a substantially equivalent local anesthesia examination; and
  • an educational program on the administration of local anesthesia and nitrous oxide analgesia; and
• didactic and clinical competency in the administration of nitrous oxide analgesia.

The name of the initial and renewed limited license is changed to an initial and renewed temporary license.  The requirements that an applicant for an initial limited license, now an initial temporary license, is currently engaged in active practice in another state or Canadian province and meets requirements for AIDS education are removed.  The expiration of an initial temporary license is extended to five years.  The Secretary of Health must issue an initial temporary license to all dental hygienists with an existing active limited license, which expires five years after the date the initial limited license was issued.