Dental Hygienist License in South Dakota

South Dakota requires dental hygienist applicants to graduate from a CODA-accredited dental hygiene program and pass the NBDHE plus a clinical examination. The South Dakota State Board of Dentistry oversees dental hygienist licensing. CE is required for annual license renewal, with a minimum of 20 hours per year. South Dakota has historically accepted the CRDTS clinical examination consistent with central states. The University of South Dakota offers the state's primary CODA-accredited dental hygiene program in Vermillion. South Dakota's rural and frontier communities face severe dental professional shortages, particularly on the Pine Ridge, Rosebud, and Cheyenne River Native American reservations where oral health disparities are among the most significant in the nation. The Indian Health Service and tribal health organizations are major employers of dental hygienists throughout the state. South Dakota has implemented provisions allowing dental hygienists to provide preventive care in schools and community settings with collaborative agreements, helping to extend dental care access to underserved populations across the state's vast western prairies. Sioux Falls and Rapid City offer the most competitive urban employment markets for dental hygienists.