Licensing in Wisconsin

All Wisconsin dental and dental hygienist licenses are handled by the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. 

The platform they use is called LicensE, which is where Wisconsin dentists and dental hygienists can apply and renew Wisconsin licenses.

Follow the prompts in the portal where you will complete your application for licensure. It will walk you through the process, and the website will notify you if there is something missing.

Additional information on dental licensure available here: https://dsps.wi.gov/Pages/Professions/Dentist/Default.aspx. 

If you have any problems, contact WDA Dental Practice & Government Services Associate Erika Valadez at evaladez@wda.org.

Licensure FAQs

What licenses do I need to practice in Wisconsin?

A license issued by the DEB is necessary to practice dentistry in Wisconsin. However, there are limited exceptions to this requirement listed in Section 447.03, Wis. Stats.

For students in specified training situations, instructors, dental residents at hospitals accredited for dental residency, etc. Verify that an exception applies before relying upon it.

Dentists must register with the DEA to prescribe or dispense any controlled substance (e.g., prescription painkillers) in connection with a practice. A dentist who only prescribes medications which are not controlled substances (e.g., antibiotics) would not have to register with the DEA.

Controlled substances may only be prescribed or dispensed in the course of a dental procedure.

For example, a narcotic-based painkiller could be prescribed for a relative who was also a patient and for whom it was warranted as a result of a procedure performed.

However, the same medication cannot be prescribed to a relative that was not treated as a patient.

 

Do I need a separate license to practice a specialty?

 While some states issue specialty licenses, no such license is required or available in Wisconsin.

A general dentist may perform services that fall within a defined dental specialty, as long as the general dentist can competently provide that service.

While the DEB does not license specialties, they do restrict the ability of dentists to advertise themselves as specialists if they have not had the additional specialized training.

Under DEB Rule DE 6.02, a dentist may advertise as a specialist only upon successful completion of a post-doctorate course approved by the Commission on Dental Accreditation in a specialty recognized by the ADA, including:

  • Endodontics
  • Oral and maxillofacial surgery
  • Oral and maxillofacial pathology
  • Orthodontics
  • Pedodontics
  • Periodontics
  • Prosthodontics
  • Oral and maxillofacial radiology

  • Dental public health