About the Board
The Colorado State Board of Dental Examiners regulates the professions of dentistry and dental hygiene, and specifies the tasks that unlicensed dental auxiliaries may perform. The Board also sets standards for unlicensed personnel such as dental assistants/auxiliaries and unlicensed personnel who operate x-ray machines or administer radiation for diagnostic purposes. Additionally, the Board administers a dentists' peer assistance program to assist dentists with physical, emotional, or psychological problems.
As of October 10, 2006, there were:
- 8,029 active, inactive, and retired dentists.
- 6,251 active and retired dental hygienists.
For more detailed information, you may want to review the Division of Registrations Budget Narrative, which includes the following:
-
Division Description and General Information
- Trends/Environmental Scan
- Critical Issues
- Program Functions and Business Activities
- Workload Measures
Funding Sources
Expenditures and revenues are not always equal. Revenue needs and fee amounts are based on estimated expenses and numbers of revenue payers. These estimates may vary from actual expenses and numbers of payers. Revenue collected that exceeds expenditures remains with the agency and is considered when calculating total revenue needed for the following year.
The following table displays the amount of revenue generated and the amount of expenditures for the Dental Board for fiscal years 05-06 and 06-07, and an estimate for fiscal year 07-08.
Revenue |
Expenditures |
|
FY 05-06
Actual |
$1,054,484 |
$946,889 |
FY 06-07
Actual |
$822,777 |
$836,599 |
FY 07-08
Estimate |
$798,896 |
$865,203 |
The following pie chart shows the source of revenue for fiscal year 07-08.
(100% Professional
and Occupational Licenses)
The following pie chart shows the expenditures for Fiscal Year 07-08.
(59% Enforcement;
18% Licensing; 17% Communication; 4% Examining for Licensure; 2%
Inspections)
Note: Phases of the examination process have been privatized (outsourced) in the Board of Dental Examiners.
The Board of Dental Examiners is cash-funded from fees pursuant to Colorado statute. Fees are paid for registration and licensing in the dental profession. Fee amounts are established annually for the purpose of covering direct and indirect costs incurred by the Division for licensing and enforcement.
Colorado has passed legislation offering licensing by credentials for dentists and accepting the licensing examinations of all regional and state testing services, which facilitates dental licensing.
There will be ongoing regulation in health related professions, with increasing efforts to get impaired practitioners into treatment programs or removed from practice. The dentist peer assistance program gives dentists an opportunity to be rehabilitated before irreparable harm and board disciplinary action.
Expanding consumer awareness has resulted in increases in complaints filed against health care practitioners. This trend is expected to continue.
The increasing impact of electronic media, including the Internet, is positively impacting the regulatory process. Dentists may now renew licenses, change addresses online, and check the status of pending licensing applications.
The number
of dentists renewing licenses annually continues to decrease. This
may be attributed to the growing number of "baby boomers"
who are retiring. The trend is expected to continue over the next
few years.
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