How to Get Your Dental Hygienist License in Kansas (2026)

## How to Become a Registered Dental Hygienist in Kansas Kansas combines a strong private-practice culture in Wichita and the Kansas City metro with significant rural dental shortages across its western plains. That contrast creates a two-speed market for new RDHs: competitive urban practices seeking experienced hygienists, and rural shortage-area clinics actively recruiting new graduates with loan-repayment incentives. ### Step 1: Complete an Accredited Dental Hygiene Program Kansas requires graduation from a CODA-accredited dental hygiene program. In-state options include Wichita State University (which offers both an AAS and a BS completion program) and Johnson County Community College in the Kansas City metro. Some Kansas graduates complete programs at neighboring state schools in Missouri, Nebraska, or Oklahoma and apply for licensure in Kansas directly upon graduation. Accreditation ensures your program meets the clinical, didactic, and radiography competency standards that Kansas and every other state recognize. Graduating from a non-CODA program makes you ineligible for licensure in the United States. ### Step 2: Pass the NBDHE The NBDHE — 350 questions, approximately **$450** fee — is mandatory for all Kansas RDH applicants. The Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations administers the exam. Kansas requires official score submission directly from JCNDE to the Kansas Dental Board; applicants cannot self-submit results. Most new graduates sit for the NBDHE during their final year of school. ### Step 3: Pass a Clinical Examination Kansas accepts scores from both: - **CRDTS** — Central Regional Dental Testing Service - **ADEX** — American Board of Dental Examiners Dental Hygiene Exam CRDTS is the most commonly used option for Kansas candidates given its widespread testing sites across the central United States. Both exams assess live-patient clinical skills including periodontal assessment, instrumentation, radiographs, and patient education. Register early — availability can tighten during peak spring graduation season. ### Step 4: Apply for Your State License The **Kansas Dental Board** processes all dental hygienist license applications. Submit your application to the Board office in Topeka with: 1. Completed application form 2. NBDHE passing score (transmitted by JCNDE) 3. Clinical exam passing score (CRDTS or ADEX, transmitted by agency) 4. Official dental hygiene program transcript 5. Application fee of approximately **$50–$75** 6. Current CPR/BLS certification 7. Completed background disclosure Kansas does not administer a separate state jurisprudence examination, but the Kansas Dental Practices Act governs scope of practice and supervision requirements that every licensed hygienist is expected to know. Standard processing takes four to eight weeks for a complete application package. ### Continuing Education Requirements Kansas RDHs must complete **20 hours of continuing education every two years**. There are no mandated topic-specific requirements at the state level beyond general dental hygiene education — though infection control, opioid awareness, and ethics courses are strongly recommended by the Kansas Dental Hygienists' Association. Approved CE sources include: - KDHA-sponsored education events - ADA CERP-accredited online and in-person courses - AGD PACE-approved continuing education providers Retain all CE certificates for at least four years, as Kansas may audit compliance at renewal. ### Kansas Dental Hygienist Salary Ranges Kansas wages fall slightly below the national median but come with a lower cost of living: | Setting | Typical Annual Range | |---|---| | Private practice (Wichita / KC metro) | $58,000 – $78,000 | | Private practice (rural Kansas) | $50,000 – $65,000 | | Corporate DSO | $54,000 – $72,000 | | FQHC / community health | $52,000 – $68,000 | | School-based dental program | $48,000 – $62,000 | Western Kansas and other HPSA-designated areas offer NHSC loan repayment packages that can effectively add $25,000–$50,000 in debt relief over two to four years — making rural Kansas financially competitive with urban private practice. ### Top Employers for Dental Hygienists in Kansas - **Aspen Dental** — locations in Wichita, Topeka, and Overland Park - **Heartland Dental** — supported practices across the Kansas City metro and Wichita - **Wichita Area Sexual Assault Center** (oral health outreach partner) — specialized public health settings - **Guadalupe Clinic** — Wichita FQHC with dental services, NHSC eligible - **Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas** — multi-site FQHC network, rural shortage areas - **Kansas City VA Medical Center** — federal pay scale, stable schedule - **University of Kansas Health System** — clinical and staff positions - **Private solo and group practices** — the dominant employment setting for Kansas hygienists, from Overland Park suburbs to Garden City and Liberal in the far west