South Carolina H 3270: Dental specialties needing special licensure

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 3270 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 06, 2024) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 3270

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING 
SECTION 40-15-220, RELATING TO DENTAL SPECIALTIES RECOGNIZED BY THE AMERICAN 
DENTAL ASSOCIATION FOR WHICH SPECIAL LICENSURE BY THE BOARD OF DENTISTRY IS REQUIRED, 
SO AS TO INCLUDE DENTAL SPECIALTIES RECOGNIZED BY THE AMERICAN BOARD OF DENTAL 
SPECIALTIES SUBJECT TO THESE LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS; BY AMENDING SECTION 
40-15-250, RELATING TO THE GRANTING OF DENTAL SPECIALTY LICENSES WITHOUT BOARD 
EXAMINATION TO DIPLOMATES OF CERTAIN NATIONAL CERTIFYING BOARDS, SO AS TO 
INCLUDE THE AMERICAN BOARD OF DENTAL SPECIALTIES AMONG SUCH NATIONAL CERTIFYING 
BOARDS; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 40-15-260, RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF DENTAL 
SPECIALTY LICENSES TO APPLICANTS WHO COMPLY WITH EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF 
THE AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION, SO AS TO PROVIDE COMPLIANCE WITH EDUCATIONAL 
REQUIREMENTS OF THE AMERICAN BOARD OF DENTAL SPECIALTIES AS AN ALTERNATIVE.

Be it enacted by the 
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Section 40-15-220 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
40-15-220. A special license shall be required for the practice of each special 
area of dentistry recognized by the American Dental Association or the American Board of Dental Specialties, in order 
for a dentist to hold himself out to the public as limiting his practice to, 
being a specialist in, or giving special attention to any special area of 
dentistry. No dentist shall announce or hold himself out to the public as 
limiting his practice to, or as being a specialist in or giving special 
attention to, any special area of dentistry without first having obtained a 
special license therefor from the board as herein provided. The volume of 
business performed in any limited area of dentistry and the restriction of a 
licensed dentist's activity to any one or more limited areas of dentistry shall 
not in themselves constitute a holding out to the public that the dentist is a 
specialist.

SECTION 2. Section 40-15-250 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
40-15-250. Examinations for licensing as specialists are held annually or as 
the board may determine. The examinations must be theoretical and practical. 
The theoretical examinations shall include subjects represented in that 
recognized special area of dentistry in which the applicant desires to 
specialize. The examination must be given either orally or in writing, or by 
requiring a practical demonstration of the applicant's skill, or by any 
combination of the methods as the board may require. The fee for the 
examinations and special license is prescribed in the regulations of the board. 
Any applicant who fails to pass the examination may apply for a subsequent 
examination, in which case he shall pay to the secretary a fee prescribed in 
the regulations of the board for each subsequent examination. A diplomate of a 
national certifying board recognized by the American Dental Association or the American Board of Dental Specialties may be 
granted a specialty license without examination by the board after satisfactory 
completion of the application and submission of fees applicable to other 
applicants. A dentist now holding a valid South Carolina specialty license is 
not required to be reexamined for that specialty license after April 13, 1968.

SECTION 3. Section 40-15-260 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
40-15-260. The board, upon satisfactory proof that the applicant has satisfied 
the then current educational requirements as set forth by the American Dental 
Association or the American Board of Dental Specialties for 
ethical announcement of a practice limited to that specialty and has complied 
with all requirements of the board, may issue a license to such a dentist 
authorizing him to hold himself out or announce to the public that he is a 
specialist in, limits his practice to, or gives special attention to such 
recognized special area of the dental profession. Such special license shall be 
reregistered in the same manner as provided in this chapter for a license to 
practice dentistry.

SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval 
by the Governor.

----XX----

This web page was last updated on December 06, 2024 at 11:07 AM