Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Permits

General Information

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS) permits are issued as an alternate pathway to licensure for a dentist who possesses a license to practice dentistry in another state and holds a physician’s and surgeon’s license issued by the Medical Board of California. An OMS permit is not required if the dentist holds a California dentist license.

Definition of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Business and Professions Code (BPC) section 1638 defines Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery as "the diagnosis and surgical and adjunctive treatment of diseases, injuries, and defects which involve both functional and esthetic aspects of the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region."

How to Apply for an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Permit

To apply for an OMS permit, you must submit the following:

  • Completed “Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Permit Application” form, or Application for Oral And Maxillofacial Surgery Permit submitted online at www.breeze.ca.gov.
  • Application processing fee of $500 (non-refundable). If submitting a paper application by mail, you must also include a check or money order made payable to the Dental Board of California.
  • Proof of a current, active license in good standing issued by the Medical Board of California.
  • Certification of your dentist license issued in another State (the license does not have to be current).
  • Proof that you are certified or eligible for certification in oral and maxillofacial surgery by a specialty board recognized by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
  • Provide classifiable sets of fingerprints either by Live Scan service (only available in California) or on hard fingerprint cards. Please click on the link to take you to our fingerprints page for more information Fingerprinting Information.

Renewal of Your Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Permit

An OMS permit expiration date is based on your date of birth, and your first license may be issued for less than 24 months. After your first renewal, it will be renewed every two years. The fee for renewal is $650.

For more information, call (916) 263-2300 or send a message to the Board.