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For Florida dental hygiene licensure application and information, contact:

Florida Board of Dentistry
Department of Health
4052 Bald Cypress Way, BIN #C08
Tallahassee, FL  32399-3258

(850) 245-4474 
Online information is available at the Department of Health website.

 

Continuing Education Providers

The following are acceptable as continuing education for the Board of Dentistry and may be self-reported through CE Broker:
https://www.cebroker.com/public/pb_index.asp

• courses offered by the American or National Dental Associations and their constituent and component dental associations and societies, including affiliated specialty organizations or a provider organization recognized by either the American or National Dental Associations; American or National Dental Hygienist Association and their constituent and component associations and societies;
• Academy of General Dentistry and its constituent and component organizations or a provider approved by the Academy of General Dentistry's National Sponsor Approval Program;
• a dental, dental hygiene or dental assisting school accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation;
• a hospital dental service or a college, university, or community college which is accredited by an accrediting agency approved by the United States Office of Education;
• American Red Cross, American Heart Association, and the American Cancer Society;
• an educational program or course associated with a medical school which is accredited by the American Medical Association's Liaison Committee for Medical Education
• participating in Board-approved individual study;
• by participating in examination standardization exercises;
• by participating in programs approved by the Board that provide substantial pro bono dental and dental hygiene services to the indigent, to dentally underserved populations or to persons who reside in areas of critical need within Florida;
• by participating as an expert witness in the review of disciplinary cases;
• by participating as part of a course at a dental, dental hygiene or dental assisting school accredited by the ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation, its successor agency or other nationally recognized accrediting agency, an adjunct, part-time faculty member may receive three (3) continuing education hours per semester/quarter; by attending a meeting of the Board wherein disciplinary cases are considered. Up to four hours of credit per renewal cycle may be earned in this manner.

Dental tech charged with operating without license

By BETH BURGER
bburger@bradenton.com

A 71-year-old dental technician was charged Wednesday with practicing a health care profession without a license.

Thomas N. Lorenzo, of the 4400 block of 56th Terrace East, was arrested after authorities received an anonymous tip he was running the Quality Dental Lab without a license, according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Lorenzo, who has been practicing in the area for several years, had a license but let it slip about four years ago, said sheriff's office spokesman Dave Bristow.

However, Eulinda Jackson, deputy press secretary for the Department of Health said there was no record of Lorenzo having a license.

 The lab, Quality Dental Lab, 6328 14th St. W., showed a null and void license in 1995 as the last record, Jackson said. Dental labs are licensed annually through the Department of Health.

 Lorenzo was arrested after he fixed broken dentures for a Department of Health investigator in a sting operation for $80.

The lab is supposed to get referrals from dentists before doing work, Bristow said.

Bristow said the work performed on the dentures was considered adequate. The sheriff's office had not received complaints about Lorenzo's work, he said.

As of Wednesday evening, Lorenzo was being held on $1,000 bond. He has his initial court appearance today.

The charge of running an unlicensed practice of health care profession is a third degree felony, Bristow said. The maximum penalty is no more than five years in prison.

On Wednesday evening, there were two cars parked outside the office in a dingy white building with block lettering. The blinds were down over several broken windows. A man who answered the door there declined to comment.