90-223. Powers and duties of Board.

(a) The Board is authorized and empowered to:

(1) Conduct examinations for licensure,

(2) Issue licenses and provisional licenses,

(3) Issue annual renewal certificates,

(4) Renew expired licenses, and

(5) Contract with a regional or national testing agency to conduct clinical examinations. Prior to entering a contract with a regional or national testing agency, the Board shall evaluate the agency based on the following criteria:

a. The number of states that recognize the results of the testing agency's examination.

b. The cost to the applicant of the examination.

c. How long the testing agency has been conducting examinations.

d. Whether the examination includes procedures performed on human subjects as part of the assessment of clinical competencies.

(b) The Board shall have the authority to make or amend rules and regulations not inconsistent with this Article governing the practice of dental hygiene and the granting, revocation and suspension of licenses and provisional licenses of dental hygienists.

(1) Any rule adopted under this Article shall be distributed to all licensed dentists and all licensed dental hygienists within 30 days of final approval by the Board.

(2) The Board shall issue every two years a compilation or supplement of the Dental Hygiene Act and the Board rules and regulations, and, upon written request therefor, a directory of dental hygienists to each licensed dentist and dental hygienist.

(c) The Board shall keep on file in its office at all times a complete record of the names, addresses, license numbers and renewal certificate numbers of all persons entitled to practice dental hygiene in this State.

(d) The Board shall, in addition to any other requirements for Board approval of a school or program of dental hygiene for purposes of this Article, require that any school or program in North Carolina develop and implement a procedure for advanced placement of potentially qualified persons. This procedure shall be designed to encourage and allow credit for any person who has attained special capabilities in dental work through military service, on-the-job training or working experience, or other means not otherwise qualifying the person to be immediately eligible for licensure. The procedure shall include these elements: public announcement of the procedure, a method for persons who have special capabilities through training or experience to make application to the school or program for advanced placement, personal counseling on obtaining advanced placement, administration of specially prepared written and clinical examinations for all parts of the curriculum otherwise required for graduation, exemption from course requirements when results of the examinations so indicate, and appropriate modification of curriculum requirements, when necessary, to facilitate individual advancement in education programs. The procedure for advanced placement shall not be approved by the Board unless it is fairly designed to facilitate the substitution of military or civilian training and experience for regular curricula, taking into account that the special nature of military and certain civilian training and experience may be equivalent without necessarily being identical to the courses of the school or program.

(e) The Board shall have the authority to provide for programs for impaired dental hygienists as authorized in G.S. 90-48.3.