Licensing, Board Authority, and Regulatory Framework
The statutory frame
New Hampshire regulates dentistry chiefly through the Dental Practice Act (RSA 317-A), implemented by the Board of Dental Examiners' administrative rules (the “Den” series) and administered operationally through the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC). Know the division of labor: the Board sets standards, reviews applications, interprets scope questions, and imposes discipline; OPLC runs the licensing database, renewals, and primary-source verification. Questions frequently test which body performs which function.
Credentials and maintenance
Separate the underlying license (dentist, dental hygienist, dental assistant, expanded function dental assistant) from permits layered on top of it (local anesthesia, nitrous oxide, sedation). A permit is not a license, adds authority only to the holder of a valid license, and does not survive the lapse of that license. Renewal is cyclical and conditioned on continuing education, current CPR certification, and truthful disclosure. Practicing on a lapsed, inactive, or restricted license is unlicensed practice regardless of intent, and helping someone else do so is a separate violation.
Board authority
Investigative and disciplinary powers typically include complaint intake, subpoena of records, compelled evaluation, reprimand, fine, probation with conditions, suspension, and revocation, plus rulemaking and advisory opinions. The Board's reach extends to unprofessional conduct that occurs outside the operatory.
Traps
Assuming a credential is portable - that an out-of-state license, a national exam score, or a certificate from a weekend course authorizes practice in New Hampshire. Assuming reinstatement is automatic once a fee is paid.
Rule of thumb
Before relying on any authority, verify three things in order: the credential exists, it is currently active, and the specific act falls within it.