Texas dental hygienist license
What Texas requires to license a dental hygienist, what a licensed hygienist may do, and how to keep the license current, taken from State Board of Dental Examiners (Texas State Board of Dental Examiners). and state code pages.
| Licensing board | State Board of Dental Examiners (Texas State Board of Dental Examiners). Source: tcss.legis.texas.gov, checked 2026-10-29. |
|---|---|
| Education | Applicants must be at least 18, have a high school diploma or equivalent, and graduate from a dental or dental hygiene school accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) and approved by the board, or from a board-approved alternative dental hygiene training program. Source: tcss.legis.texas.gov, checked 2026-10-29. |
| Clinical exam | Applicants must pass a clinical examination given by an independent or regional testing service under contract with the board. Source: tcss.legis.texas.gov, checked 2026-10-29. |
| State law exam | Texas requires its own jurisprudence examination; the written portion is validated by an independent testing professional, and applicants licensed in other states must also pass it. Source: tcss.legis.texas.gov, checked 2026-10-29. |
| Licensed in another state | A hygienist licensed in good standing in a state with substantially equivalent requirements can be licensed by credentials after practicing for at least the three years before applying (or five years as a dental hygiene educator), passing a national exam and the Texas jurisprudence exam, and holding current CPR. Source: tcss.legis.texas.gov, checked 2026-10-29. |
| Local anesthesia | Since September 1, 2023, a dentist may let a hygienist give local anesthetic by infiltration only if the hygienist passed a board-approved certification exam and completed a board-approved course (or held authority from the armed forces or another state in the preceding year), the dentist is physically present, and the patient is at least 18 and not sedated beyond nitrous oxide. Source: tcss.legis.texas.gov, checked 2026-10-29. |
| Supervision and direct access | Hygienists work under a supervising dentist, who need not be on the premises if the dentist examined the patient within the preceding 12 calendar months. Hygienists with at least two years of experience may work on dentist authorization in nursing facilities, school-based health centers and community health centers without that prior exam, for up to six months per patient. Source: tcss.legis.texas.gov, checked 2026-10-29. |
| Renewal | Licenses are valid for one or two years as set by board rule and must be renewed before expiration; a license expired 90 days or less renews at one and a half times the fee, and one expired a year or more cannot be renewed. Source: tcss.legis.texas.gov, checked 2026-10-29. |
| Continuing education | Continuing education is mandatory for hygienists; the board sets the minimum hours per registration period by rule, and CPR certification must be attested at each renewal. Source: tcss.legis.texas.gov, checked 2026-10-29. |
Rules and fees change. Confirm with State Board of Dental Examiners (Texas State Board of Dental Examiners). before you rely on them.
Licensed hygienists in Texas earn a median $47.71 an hour ($99,240 a year). See Texas pay by metro.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, all industries.
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