90-30. Examination and licensing of applicants; qualifications; causes for refusal to grant license; void licenses.

(a) The North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners shall grant licenses to practice dentistry to such applicants who are graduates of a reputable dental institution, who, in the opinion of a majority of the Board, shall undergo a satisfactory examination of proficiency in the knowledge and practice of dentistry, subject, however, to the further provisions of this section and of the provisions of this Article.

The applicant for a license to practice dentistry shall be of good moral character, at least 18 years of age at the time the application is filed. The application for a dental license shall be made to the Board in writing and shall be accompanied by evidence satisfactory to the Board that the applicant is a person of good moral character, has an academic education, the standard of which shall be determined by the Board; that the applicant is a graduate of and has a diploma from a reputable dental college or the dental department of a reputable university or college recognized, accredited and approved as such by the Board; and that the applicant has passed a clinical licensing examination, the standard of which shall be determined by the Board.

The North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners is authorized to conduct both written or oral and clinical examinations or to accept the results of other Board-approved regional or national independent third-party clinical examinations that shall include procedures performed on human subjects as part of the assessment of restorative clinical competencies and that are determined by the Board to be of such character as to thoroughly test the qualifications of the applicant, and may refuse to grant a license to any person who, in its discretion, is found deficient in the examination. The Board may refuse to grant a license to any person guilty of cheating, deception or fraud during the examination, or whose examination discloses to the satisfaction of the Board, a deficiency in academic or clinical education. The Board may employ such dentists found qualified therefor by the Board, in examining applicants for licenses as it deems appropriate.

The North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners may refuse to grant a license to any person guilty of a crime involving moral turpitude, or gross immorality, or to any person addicted to the use of alcoholic liquors or narcotic drugs to such an extent as, in the opinion of the Board, renders the applicant unfit to practice dentistry.

Any license obtained through fraud or by any false representation shall be void ab initio and of no effect.

(b) The Department of Public Safety may provide a criminal record check to the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners for a person who has applied for a license through the Board. The Board shall provide to the Department of Public Safety, along with the request, the fingerprints of the applicant, any additional information required by the Department of Public Safety, and a form signed by the applicant consenting to the check of the criminal record and to the use of the fingerprints and other identifying information required by the State or national repositories. The applicant's fingerprints shall be forwarded to the State Bureau of Investigation for a search of the State's criminal history record file, and the State Bureau of Investigation shall forward a set of the fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history check. The Board shall keep all information pursuant to this subsection privileged, in accordance with applicable State law and federal guidelines, and the information shall be confidential and shall not be a public record under Chapter 132 of the General Statutes.

The Department of Public Safety may charge each applicant a fee for conducting the checks of criminal history records authorized by this subsection.