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profession.In the case of a graduate of a dental college or school under subparagraph (2)(b)2.:Has successfully completed the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination or the National Board Dental Examination;Has not been disciplined by a board, except for citation offenses or minor violations; and Has not been convicted of or pled nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, any felony or misdemeanor related to the practice of a health care profession.A graduate of a dental college or school shall be entitled to take the examinations required in this section to practice dental hygiene in this state if, in addition to the requirements specified in subsection (2), the graduate meets the following requirements:(a) Submits the following credentials for review by the board:Transcripts totaling 4 academic years of postsecondary dental education; and A dental school diploma which is comparable to a D.D.S. or D.M.D.Such credentials shall be submitted in a manner provided by rule of the board. The board shall approve those credentials which comply with this paragraph and with rules of the board adopted pursuant to this paragraph. The provisions of this paragraph notwithstanding, an applicant of a foreign dental college or school not accredited in accordance with s. 466.006(2)(b) who cannot produce the credentials required by this paragraph, as a result of political or other conditions in the country in which the applicant received his or her education, may seek the board’s approval of his or her educational background by submitting, in lieu of the credentials required in this paragraph, such other reasonable and reliable evidence as may be set forth by board rule. The board shall not accept such other evidence until it has made a reasonable attempt to obtain the credentials required by this paragraph from the educational institutions the applicant is alleged to have attended, unless the board is otherwise satisfied that such credentials cannot be obtained.Successfully completes one or more courses, of a scope and duration approved and defined by board rule, that meet the requirements of law for instructing health care providers on the human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome. In addition, the board may require an applicant who graduated from a nonaccredited dental college or school to successfully complete additional coursework, only after failing the initial examination, as defined by board rule, at an educational institution approved by the board or accredited as provided in subparagraph (2)(b)1. A graduate of a foreign dental college or school not accredited in accordance with s. 466.006(2)(b) may not take the coursework set forth in this paragraph until the board has approved the credentials required by paragraph (a).Effective July 1, 2012, to be licensed as a dental hygienist in this state, an applicant must successfully complete the following:A written examination on the laws and rules of this state regulating the practice of dental hygiene.A practical or clinical examination approved by the board. The examination shall be the Dental Hygiene Examination produced by the American Board of Dental Examiners, Inc. (ADEX) or its successor entity, if any, if the board finds that the successor entity’s clinical examination meets or exceeds the provisions of this section. The board shall approve the ADEX Dental Hygiene Examination if the board has attained and continues to maintain representation on the ADEX House of Representatives, the ADEX Dental Hygiene Examination Development Committee, and such other ADEX Dental Hygiene committees as the board deems appropriate through rulemaking to ensure that the standards established in this section are maintained organizationally. The ADEX Dental Hygiene Examination or the examination produced by its successor entity is a comprehensive examination in which an applicant must demonstrate skills within the dental hygiene scope of practice on a live patient and any other components that the board deems necessary for the applicant to successfully demonstrate competency for the purpose of licensure. The ADEX Dental Hygiene Examination or the examination by the successor entity administered in this state shall be graded by dentists and dental hygienists licensed in this state who are employed by the department for this purpose16Effective July 1, 2012, an applicant who has completed the