2015 Arkansas Code
Title 17 - Professions, Occupations, and Businesses
Subtitle 3 - Medical Professions
Chapter 82 - Dentists, Dental Hygienists, and Dental Assistants
Subchapter 3 - Licensing Generally
§ 17-82-305 - Dentists -- Specialists -- Licensing procedure.

(a) (1) Any dentist in this state licensed by the Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners who has complied with requirements as specified by the American Dental Association Council on Dental Education in a specialty branch of dentistry or who has otherwise met the requirements of the rules and regulations promulgated by the board may apply for a certificate as a specialist.

(2) The application shall be accompanied by the payment of a fee to be prescribed by the board. The fee shall be an amount reasonably calculated to cover the cost of the examination and other costs incurred by the board in issuing the certificate.

(3) The application must be on file for at least sixty (60) days prior to the regular meeting of the board. If the application is accepted, the applicant shall be notified to appear for an examination as defined by the rules and regulations of the board.

(b) Examinations may be oral or written, or both, and the applicant may be required to demonstrate his or her knowledge and proficiency in the specialty in which he or she desires to be certified.

(c) The board is authorized to certify specialists in all specialty areas approved by the American Dental Association.

(d) Any dentist not licensed by the board but who is eligible to take the Arkansas State Board Examination and is further eligible for specialty examination may take both examinations at the discretion of the board.

(e) No licensed dentist shall hold himself or herself out to the public as a specialist or publicly announce as being specifically qualified in any particular branch of dentistry or publicly announce as giving special attention to any branch of dentistry until he or she has been issued a certificate by the board authorizing him or her to do so.

(f) Any dentist in this state licensed by the board who on February 21, 1969, is limiting his or her practice to a particular branch of dentistry and who is holding himself or herself out to the public as a specialist in a particular branch of dentistry, upon application therefor to the board, shall be certified as a specialist in that branch of dentistry and shall not be required to take the examination provided for in subsection (b) of this section.

(g) (1) The issuing of a specialist license by the board is a special privilege granted to that member that allows him or her to announce to the public that he or she is especially qualified in a particular branch of dentistry.

(2) Any member granted this special privilege must limit his or her practice to the specialty in which he or she is licensed except in an emergency situation.

(3) The failure to limit his or her practice as provided in subdivision (g)(2) of this section described by the appropriate national specialty board shall be cause for the specialist license to be revoked or suspended.