Dental Hygienists License in New Mexico

New Mexico requires dental hygienist applicants to graduate from a CODA-accredited dental hygiene program and pass the NBDHE plus a clinical examination, typically the WREB consistent with western states. The New Mexico Board of Dental Health Care oversees dental hygienist licensing. CE is required for annual license renewal. New Mexico has implemented a collaborative practice dental hygienist provision allowing experienced hygienists with specified training and at least two years of clinical experience to provide preventive services in community settings under a collaborative agreement with a dentist rather than direct supervision. The University of New Mexico and San Juan College offer CODA-accredited dental hygiene programs serving the state's geographically dispersed population. New Mexico's large Native American population, served by the Indian Health Service and tribal health organizations including Navajo, Pueblo, and Apache communities, creates unique practice opportunities for dental hygienists. The state's vast rural areas and significant health disparities, particularly in border communities along the US-Mexico border and on tribal lands, make dental hygienists essential to the oral health workforce and critical to access improvement efforts across this culturally diverse state.