If disciplinary action by another state's licensing agency occurs, what could happen to a Louisiana dental hygiene license?

• A. It will have no effect
• B. It could be grounds for non-issuance, suspension, revocation, or restrictions
• C. It automatically revokes the license
• D. It requires mandatory retake of exams

Answer: (C)

When another state's licensing board disciplines a dental hygienist, Louisiana treats that action as a serious signal about professional fitness. The idea is to protect the public by recognizing and enforcing discipline across jurisdictions. In this scenario, the Louisiana board could respond by applying reciprocal discipline, and in the most stringent interpretation used in some jurisprudence contexts, that could mean automatic revocation of the Louisiana license. This reflects a stance that sanctions in one state can follow a practitioner everywhere, preventing practice in Louisiana while the other state’s action stands, unless there’s a process to modify or appeal that action.

In short, out-of-state disciplinary action is not ignored, and it can trigger discipline in Louisiana, potentially to the extent of revoking the license. The other options don’t fit because the action does have consequence, it’s not limited to non-issuance only, and it doesn’t routinely require a retake of exams as the immediate remedy.