Tennessee Dental License Verification: Lookup a Dentist and Check Current Status
Use this guide for Tennessee dental license verification, Tennessee dentist license verification, TN dental license search, renewal requirements, continuing education, jurisprudence, discipline and formal verification to another state.
Start with Tennessee Health Related Boards Licensure Verification. Tennessee identifies this system as its official licensure-verification source and says the records come from primary sources and are updated daily.
Quick Answer: Tennessee Dentist License Verification Online
Open Tennessee Health Related Boards Licensure Verification, choose the correct dental profession and search by exact license number when available. If you do not know the number, search the dentist’s legal name. Open the matching record and verify the license status, expiration and Practitioner Profile before relying on it.
Do not confuse a Tennessee dental license lookup with the LARS renewal account. The public verification database is for checking a license; LARS is used by applicants and licensees to manage applications and renewals.
If you are not sure whether dentistry is the correct Tennessee licensing route, use our Tennessee License Verification guide to identify the correct state system.
Tennessee Dental License Route Finder
Choose the task first. This helper stores no names, license numbers, payment details or other personal information.
Tennessee Dental Licensure Verification: 2026 Fast Facts
Official verification database
Tennessee describes Health Related Boards Licensure Verification as the official verification source and says data comes from primary sources.
License number is faster
Tennessee specifically notes that name or city searches can take longer than searches by license number.
Last day of the birth month
The Board’s current FAQ says a dental professional’s license expires on the last day of the month in which the licensee was born. Always use the exact expiration displayed in the live record.
Generated about 60 days before expiration
The Board says the online renewal application is generated approximately 60 days before the license expiration date.
Notice generally around 45 days before
The Board says mailed renewal notices—and email notifications for licensees who opted in—are generally sent about 45 days before expiration.
Do not practice on an expired license
The Board expressly states that practicing on an expired license violates Tennessee law and Board rules.
Tennessee Dental License Lookup Online: Exact Steps
Use this same workflow for “Tennessee dental license lookup,” “Tennessee dentist license lookup,” “TN dental license search” and “TN dentist license search.”
Open the official Health Related Boards verification page
Use the Tennessee government-linked license search rather than an office biography, review site, business directory or copied license image.
Select the correct profession
Choose Dentist when verifying a dentist. Do not accidentally search Dental Hygienist or Registered Dental Assistant and conclude that the dentist is missing.
Search by exact license number first
A license number reduces same-name errors. Tennessee’s own search guidance says license-number searches are faster than name or city searches.
If the number is unknown, use the legal name
Search the first and last name carefully. When no match appears, Tennessee recommends trying only the last name or the first few characters of the last name.
Open the complete result
Do not stop at a matching name. Confirm profession, license number, status and expiration.
Review Practitioner Profile and public action information
When available, examine the Practitioner Profile and disciplinary or abuse-data links associated with the license result.
Save dated proof
For employment, credentialing or patient-safety checks, save the official source, date checked, profession, license number, status and expiration.
Dentist vs Dental Hygienist vs Dental Assistant: Pick the Correct Tennessee Record
| Credential | Tennessee Board role | Verification tip |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist | Licensed by the Tennessee Board of Dentistry. | Choose the Dentist profession when performing a Tennessee dentist license verification. |
| Dental Hygienist | Licensed separately by the Board. | Do not apply dentist CE or renewal details automatically to a hygienist. |
| Registered Dental Assistant | Registered through the Board and may hold additional certifications. | Verify registration and any procedure-specific certification required for the work. |
| Sedation / anesthesia permit | Separate permit associated with qualifying dentists. | When sedation services matter, do not stop after verifying only the dentist’s base license. |
What to Check in a Tennessee Dentist License Record
| Field | Why it matters | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Profession | Confirms which Board credential the record represents. | Make sure the result actually says Dentist when dentist verification is your intent. |
| License number | Distinguishes professionals with similar names. | Match it with employment, credentialing or practice records. |
| Status | A license record can exist without representing unrestricted current practice authority. | Read the current status and any limitations or action links. |
| Expiration | Indicates when the current licensing period ends. | Recheck close to hiring, credentialing or treatment dates when expiration is near. |
| Practitioner Profile | Adds public professional and reportable-history information. | Compare profile information with the dentist you intended to research. |
| Disciplinary information | Public Board action may affect practice or credentialing decisions. | Read the actual public order or action rather than interpreting a short label alone. |
Tennessee Dental License Status: What to Do Next
Save the complete result
Confirm profession, number and expiration and review public profile/action information before relying on the license.
Renewal action belongs in LARS
The licensee should complete the renewal workflow rather than using the public verification database as a renewal portal.
Normal renewal may no longer be enough
Use the Board’s reinstatement/reactivation route and do not treat the historic license as current practice authority.
Read the underlying action
If disciplinary information is shown, review the effective date, conditions and current status before making a decision.
Fix the search first
Wrong profession, name spelling or search input can create a false “missing license” conclusion.
Recheck the public record
A submitted renewal or payment confirmation should not replace the final public status check when current licensure matters.
TN Dentist License Search Shows No Result: Troubleshooting
| Problem | Possible reason | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No result by full name | Spelling, suffix, middle name or legal-name variation. | Try only the last name or the first few characters of the last name. |
| Many similar names | The search is too broad. | Use the exact license number and compare profession/profile information. |
| Dentist is missing | Wrong profession selected. | Confirm that Dentist—not Dental Hygienist or Dental Assistant—is selected. |
| Recently applied | Application activity is not the same as an issued license. | Check LARS for application status and use public verification when proof of issuance is required. |
| Old wall certificate available | The credential may have expired, changed status or been replaced. | Verify the current state record rather than relying on the old certificate. |
Contact the Tennessee Board of Dentistry at 615-532-5073 or 1-800-778-4123. Have the dentist’s name, possible license number, profession selected and exact search problem ready.
Tennessee Dental License Renewal Online: Step-by-Step
Tennessee dental license renewal uses LARS. The public verification search is not the renewal account.
Sign into LARS
Returning users should use the existing account. New users select “Begin Here For Sign-up.” Tennessee warns users not to create another account simply because they forgot existing login details.
Add the current license to the account when necessary
Tennessee’s licensure instructions say that after creating an account, existing licensees must add their current license or the system may show only a new-license application option.
Wait for the renewal application window
The Board says the renewal application is generated approximately 60 days before expiration.
Confirm CE and CPR compliance
Review the applicable 40-hour dentist CE requirement, controlled-substance education and current CPR documentation before attesting.
Complete the jurisprudence exam
Tennessee requires the jurisprudence exam every renewal cycle. The exam uses a separate account from LARS and is not available until the renewal period opens.
Review fees and submit renewal
Check the amounts shown in your live LARS transaction, especially when a permit, lapse or other account-specific item is involved.
Verify the final public status
When employment or practice authority matters, recheck Tennessee Licensure Verification after renewal processing rather than relying only on a receipt.
Tennessee Dental License Renewal Fees for Dentists
The current Board fee rule remains important because a proposed 2026 fee increase was withdrawn before taking effect.
| Fee | Current rule amount | When it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist licensure renewal | $187.50 | Biennial renewal for standard dentist licenses covered by the general renewal fee. |
| State regulatory fee | $10.00 | Payable upon licensure and biennially thereafter. |
| Base biennial amount | $197.50 | $187.50 renewal + $10 regulatory fee before any separate applicable permit, lapse or other fee. |
| Sedation / anesthesia permit renewal | $75.00 | Biennial renewal of an applicable sedation/anesthesia permit. |
| Limited / educational limited renewal | $37.50 | Applies to the limited-license categories specified by Board rule. |
| Reinstatement fee | $562.50 | Applies when a license is not timely renewed and is in addition to applicable current/past-due renewal fees. |
| Duplicate license | $22.50 | Replacement of a lost or destroyed wall license or renewal certificate. |
The Board’s January 2026 meeting minutes state that a proposed fee-increase rule scheduled for January 2026 was withdrawn. Do not copy proposed higher amounts from an old notice without checking the current fee rule and live LARS transaction.
Tennessee Dental License Renewal Requirements: Dentist CE and CPR
40 hours per two-year cycle
Dentists must complete 40 hours of approved continuing education during the two-calendar-year cycle running from January 1 of an odd-numbered year through December 31 of the following even-numbered year.
Minimum 2 hours
At least two of the 40 hours must address controlled-substance prescribing and include Tennessee Chronic Pain Guidelines instruction.
Maintain a current CPR card
Dentists must keep current qualifying CPR training. Tennessee’s Board describes the required course as healthcare-professional CPR/AED training with an in-person skills examination.
No online-hour limit for dentists
The Board currently says there is no online/web-based CE-hour cap for dentists. Do not apply the dental-hygienist online limit to dentists.
Keep proof for 3 years
The Board conducts random CE/CPR audits and instructs practitioners to retain documentation for three years from the end of the calendar year in which the course was completed.
Free Basic Account available
Tennessee identifies CE Broker as the Board’s official CE/CME tracking system. The Board encourages its use but currently says registration is not mandatory.
Tennessee says CE documentation is generally produced when requested during an audit. Keep complete certificates rather than relying only on a personal summary of courses.
Tennessee Dental Jurisprudence Exam for Renewal
Jurisprudence is mandatory
Tennessee requires the dental jurisprudence exam for initial licensure/registration, reinstatement/reactivation and each renewal cycle.
Opens near renewal time
The Board says the exam cannot be accessed until the renewal application is generated, approximately 60 days before expiration.
Jurisprudence login is separate from LARS
Do not try to use the LARS password automatically. Tennessee expressly states that the two systems use separate credentials.
Get 25 questions correct
The Board calls it a completion exam rather than a conventional pass/fail score. Continue until 25 questions have been answered correctly.
Look for the congratulations message
If the successful-completion screen does not appear, Tennessee says the exam is not finished.
Completion posts next business day
The Board says exam completion is received by the licensing system on the next business day, so an immediate renewal screen may not yet reflect it.
Tennessee Dentist Renewal With a Sedation or Anesthesia Permit
4 sedation/anesthesia hours
Dentists holding limited conscious sedation, comprehensive conscious sedation or deep sedation/general anesthesia permits need at least four hours in sedation/anesthesia during the CE cycle.
Not a separate 44-hour total
The four permit-specific hours count as part of the required 40 dentist CE hours.
Maintain applicable ACLS / PALS
Permit holders must maintain the advanced life-support certification required by Board rules/policy; PALS may substitute where applicable for a pediatric dentist.
Expired Tennessee Dental License: Reinstatement Instead of Normal Renewal
If the public record shows the license has lapsed or expired, do not assume that paying the ordinary biennial renewal amount will restore practice authority.
Stop relying on the old certificate
Tennessee expressly prohibits practicing on an expired dental license.
Use the Board’s reinstatement/reactivation process
Follow the current Board forms and instructions instead of attempting to force an ordinary renewal workflow.
$562.50 reinstatement fee under current rule
Applicable current and past-due renewal amounts may also be due.
Be prepared to document compliance
Reinstatement can require continuing-education documentation rather than a simple renewal attestation.
Exam is also required for reinstatement
The Board requires the jurisprudence exam for reinstatement/reactivation as well as ordinary renewal.
Recheck the public database
Do not resume relying on the license until the official Tennessee record reflects the restored status.
Tennessee Dental Licensure Verification for Another State Board
A public online lookup and formal board-to-board verification are different tasks.
Use TN Health for an ordinary status check
Patients, employers and credentialing teams can start with Tennessee’s official online verification system.
Request verification from the Board of Dentistry
Tennessee says requests for verification to another state may be emailed to dental.health@tn.gov.
- Include your name.
- Include your profession.
- Include your Tennessee license number.
- Include the receiving state board’s mailing address.
Tennessee Dentist Discipline Check vs Filing a New Complaint
Verification answers what the public license record currently shows. Filing a complaint asks Tennessee to review alleged professional misconduct.
Read the license record first
Review Practitioner Profile and public disciplinary information linked to the official verification result.
Use Health Related Boards complaint process
Tennessee accepts complaints against licensed healthcare professionals when alleged conduct may violate the profession’s practice act or rules.
Keep your own copies
Tennessee says complaint materials received by the state become state property and are not returned.
Call 800-852-2187 for information about complaints involving healthcare professionals regulated by Tennessee Health Related Boards.
Tennessee Dental Licensing Scam Warning
Caller ID can look official
Tennessee warns that scammers may impersonate licensing-board staff or investigators and spoof official-looking phone numbers.
Investigators will not demand private financial data by phone
Tennessee states that Health Related Board investigators will not demand Social Security number, date of birth, bank-account or credit-card information over the phone.
Use Tennessee’s published investigator contact
Tennessee currently lists 615-741-8485 and OIV.Complaints@tn.gov to verify non-pharmacy Health Related Board investigators.
Tennessee Dental License Search Terms: Which Workflow Do You Need?
| Search phrase | Actual intent | Correct action |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee dental license verification | Verify a Tennessee dental credential. | Start with TN Health Related Boards verification and select the correct dental profession. |
| Tennessee dentist license verification | Verify one individual dentist. | Select Dentist, search license number/name and open the complete record. |
| Tennessee dental licensure verification | Often credentialing or formal board verification. | Use the public lookup for status; use Board-to-board verification when formal transmission is required. |
| Tennessee dental license lookup online | Find the free official web search. | Open Tennessee Health Related Boards Licensure Verification. |
| Tennessee dentist license lookup | Find a specific dentist. | Use exact license number where available and compare profile/status. |
| TN dental license search | Short-form query for the state dental lookup. | Pick Dentist, Hygienist or Assistant correctly before searching. |
| TN dentist license search | Search specifically for a Tennessee dentist. | Use Dentist profession + license number/name. |
| Tennessee dental license renewal | Renew an existing credential. | Use LARS, not the public lookup. |
| Tennessee dental license renewal requirements | Check CE, CPR, jurisprudence, fees and permit obligations. | Review renewal, CE, jurisprudence and fee sections before attesting. |
Tennessee Dentist Verification Checklist for Patients and Employers
- Official Tennessee verification source.
- Date checked.
- Exact legal name.
- Profession selected.
- License number.
- Current status.
- Expiration date.
- Practitioner Profile reviewed when relevant.
- Public disciplinary information reviewed when shown.
- Screenshot or printout when your policy requires proof.
- Dental-practice website.
- Google/business directory listing.
- Online review profile.
- Old wall certificate.
- Appointment-booking profile.
- LARS renewal receipt.
- Similar-name license result.
- Professional title without official verification.
Official Tennessee Dental License Verification and Renewal Links
Open the resource that matches the task you already identified above.
Tennessee Dental License Verification FAQs
How do I verify a Tennessee dentist license online?
Use Tennessee Health Related Boards Licensure Verification. Select the Dentist profession and search by exact license number when available, or search by legal name. Open the complete record and verify profession, license number, status, expiration, Practitioner Profile and any public disciplinary information shown.
Is Tennessee’s dental license lookup an official primary-source verification system?
Yes. Tennessee describes the Health Related Boards verification system as the official licensure-verification site, says its information comes from primary sources and states that licensure information is updated daily.
Should I use a dentist’s name or license number for a Tennessee dental license search?
Use the exact license number when available because it reduces same-name errors and Tennessee notes that license-number searches are faster. If you do not know the number, search the legal name and try fewer last-name characters when necessary.
When does a Tennessee dental license expire?
The Tennessee Board of Dentistry’s current FAQ says licenses expire on the last day of the month in which the licensee was born. Always rely on the exact expiration date displayed in the current public license record for a specific dentist.
How do I renew a Tennessee dental license online?
Use Tennessee LARS. The Board says the renewal application is generated approximately 60 days before expiration. Confirm CE and CPR compliance, complete the required jurisprudence exam, submit the renewal and applicable fees, then recheck the public license status after processing.
What are the current Tennessee dentist renewal fees?
The current Board rule lists a $187.50 biennial dentist renewal fee plus a $10 state regulatory fee, making the base rule amount $197.50 before any separate applicable permit, lapse or other fee. A proposed 2026 fee increase was withdrawn by the Board.
What are the Tennessee dental license renewal CE requirements for dentists?
Dentists must complete 40 hours of approved continuing education during the applicable two-calendar-year cycle, including at least two hours on controlled-substance prescribing and Tennessee Chronic Pain Guidelines, and must maintain current qualifying CPR certification.
Is the Tennessee dental jurisprudence exam required for every renewal?
Yes. The Board says the jurisprudence exam is required for each renewal cycle as well as initial licensure or registration and reinstatement/reactivation. The renewal exam is completed after the renewal application becomes available.
What should I do if a TN dentist license search shows no result?
Confirm that Dentist is the selected profession, recheck the license number and try the legal last name or the first few characters of the last name. If the record still cannot be confirmed, contact the Tennessee Board of Dentistry at 615-532-5073 or 1-800-778-4123.
How do I request Tennessee dental license verification for another state board?
The Tennessee Board of Dentistry says requests for verification to another state may be emailed to dental.health@tn.gov. Include your name, profession, Tennessee license number and the mailing address of the receiving state board.
Complete the Tennessee Dentist License Check
For Tennessee dental license verification, start with the official Health Related Boards search, select the correct profession, match the exact dentist and read status, expiration, Practitioner Profile and public-action information. For renewal, switch to LARS and complete the applicable CE, CPR, jurisprudence and fee requirements before the license expires.