The Lapsed License and the Ten-Day Start Date
Elena was licensed as a Nevada dental hygienist in 2019. She let her license expire 18 months ago while caring for her father and has not practiced since. She now has a job offer from a Las Vegas office starting in 10 days. She completed 12 continuing education hours in Arizona: 2 hours in infection control, 1 hour in ethics, and 9 hours in clinical topics. The office manager tells her to 'just renew online; nobody checks for the first 30 days.' Elena opens the Board website and sees a reinstatement packet requiring a fee, fingerprint cards, and continuing education documentation. She has already signed the employment agreement and does not want to lose the job. She asks whether she can see patients while the reinstatement application is pending if the dentist supervises her closely.
1. Can Elena begin seeing patients on day 10 while her reinstatement application is pending? What are the consequences of practicing on an expired license?
Read the worked answer
No. A license that has expired is not a license to practice. The employer cannot authorize unlicensed practice, and close supervision by the dentist does not cure the defect. Practicing while the application is pending is unlicensed practice and can lead to Board discipline, civil liability, and possible criminal exposure. Elena should tell the employer she cannot start until the Board issues a valid license or reinstatement. She should ask the Board in writing whether a temporary or provisional status is available; if not, the start date must move. She should also document that she did not treat patients during the lapse, because any practice during that 18-month period would need to be disclosed and could become a separate disciplinary issue.
2. Evaluate Elena's 12 continuing education hours against reinstatement. What should she do before submitting the packet?
Read the worked answer
Twelve hours is likely insufficient. Nevada uses a biennial continuing education requirement for dental hygienists, currently 30 hours per renewal cycle, with topic-specific minimums set by Board regulation. Elena must determine what the Board requires for an 18-month lapse: some or all of a full cycle, plus specific hours such as infection control and ethics. Out-of-state courses count only if they are Board-approved or meet the regulation's standards, and the 1-hour ethics course may not satisfy the current ethics minimum. She should get the Board's reinstatement checklist in writing, take the missing approved hours, keep certificates, and submit the fee, fingerprints, and documentation before the start date. She should not assume that paying the fee alone restores the license.