Special Permit (Faculty)

General Information

A Special Permit is issued to a full-time faculty member contracted at a California Dental School as a professor, an associate professor, or an assistant professor. The Special Permit holder can practice 1 day per week at the dental school’s faculty practice.

Full-time practice is defined as 4 days per week. A Special Permit holder is allowed to enter a part-time contract after seven years, provided the permit holder notifies the Dental Board of California (Board) of the change and submits an updated contract.

Qualifying for a Special Permit

There are two pathways to qualify for a Special Permit in California. Choose one of the following methods:

Qualification Method 1 – Business and Professions Code section 1640

Any person meeting all of the following eligibility requirements may apply for a Special Permit:

  1. Furnish satisfactory evidence of having a pending contract with a California dental college approved by the Board as a full-time professor, an associate professor, or an assistant professor. Submit a copy of the contract or complete the Declaration of the Dean for Special Permit form.
  2. Furnish satisfactory evidence of having graduated from a dental college approved by the Board or of having completed an advanced education program accredited by either the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association or a national accrediting body approved by the Board.
  3. Furnish satisfactory evidence of having been certified as a diplomate of a specialty board or, in lieu thereof, establish their qualifications to take a specialty board examination or furnish satisfactory evidence of having completed an advanced educational program in a discipline from a dental college approved by the Board.
  4. Provide proof of successfully completing the written examination in California Law and Ethics developed and administered by the Board. Visit our Law and Ethics web page for scheduling information and applications.

Qualification Method 2 – Business and Professions Code section 1640.3

The Board may issue a Special Permit to a dentist who does not meet the eligibility requirements pursuant to Business and Professions Code (BPC) section 1640 if the dentist provides evidence of compliance with the following requirements to the Board:

  1. A dentist shall satisfy either of the following conditions:
    1. The dentist's expertise or skill is in a specialty area of dental practice approved by the American Dental Association and recognized by the Board, and the Board has received verification, in writing from the dean of the dental school where a contract is pending, that the addition of this dentist to the faculty will benefit the students and the dental program.
    2. Verification, in writing, from the dean of the dental school where a contract is pending, that the addition of this general dentist to the faculty will benefit the students and the dental program.
  2. A legible, true copy of the transcript of academic and clinical dental school records (translated if applicable).
  3. A legible, true copy of the dental diploma/degree from the dental college (translated if applicable).
  4. A copy of the applicant's valid dental license.
  5. Satisfactory evidence of possessing a pending contract with a California dental college approved by the Board as a full-time professor, associate professor, or assistant professor. Submit a copy of the contract or complete the Declaration of the Dean for Special Permit form.
  6. Satisfactory evidence that the applicant's credentials were presented to the school's faculty credentialing committee or similar faculty review committee and written acknowledgment by the dean of the dental school that the applicant is an essential addition to the school's faculty, along with a strong recommendation that the applicant be offered an employment contract.
  7. Provide proof of successfully completing the written examination in California Law and Ethics developed and administered by the Board. Visit our Law and Ethics web page for scheduling information and applications.

Per BPC section 1640.3, subdivision (g), the number of Special Permits issued by the Board under paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) is no more than five permits per dental school. The number of Special Permits issued by the Board under paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) is no more than five permits per dental school.

Additional Documents for Special Permit Applicants

In addition to meeting the requirements of either Qualification Method 1 or 2, the following items must be submitted:

  • Completed Application for Special Permit form, or Application for Special Permit for Faculty submitted online at www.breeze.ca.gov.
  • Application processing fee of $1,000 (non-refundable). If submitting a paper application by mail, you must also include a check or money order made payable to the Dental Board of California.
  • Completed Applicant’s Schedule form.
  • Copy of a current or pending contract or a completed Declaration of the Dean for Special Permit form.
  • Fingerprint clearance from the California Department of Justice and the FBI.
    • If you are in California, you will need to complete the fingerprints by Live Scan. The Live Scan form can be found at https://www.dbc.ca.gov/formspubs/form_livescan_dds.pdf.
    • If you are located outside of California, you will need to provide two (2) Standard FBI fingerprint cards and a processing fee of $49. If you need to request fingerprint cards, contact the Board at dentalboard@dca.ca.gov. Include your full name and mailing address. Fingerprint cards received without the required fee will not be processed.

Renewal of Your Special Permit

A Special Permit must be renewed annually. The fee for renewal is $133.00 (and includes an $8.00 CURES Fee). The continuing education requirement for renewal is 25 units of approved courses including: mandatory basic life support training, 2 units in California Infection Control, 2 units in the California Dental Practice Act, and 2 units in Responsibilities and Requirements of Prescribing Schedule II Opioids.

In addition, you must complete and submit a renewal form, submit a new Applicant’s Schedule, and provide a current contract or a completed Declaration of the Dean for Special Permit form.

Automatic Revocation

The Special Permit holder must file a copy of their employment contract with the Board. The contract must contain the following provision:

That the permit holder understands and acknowledges that when their full-time or part-time employment is terminated at the dental college, their Special Permit will be automatically revoked and that the permit holder will voluntarily surrender the permit to the Board and will no longer be eligible to practice.

For more information, call (916) 263-2300 or email DentalBoard@dca.ca.gov.