(a) No person shall be entitled to or be issued such license as set out in Code Section 43-11-70 unless such person is at least 18 years of age, of good moral character, and a graduate of a dental hygiene program recognized by the board and accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association (ADA) or its successor agency which is operated by a school or college accredited by an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education whose curriculum is at least two academic years of courses at the appropriate level and at the completion of which an associate or baccalaureate degree is awarded.
(b) Application for a license under Code Section 43-11-70 shall constitute consent for performance of a criminal background check. Each applicant who submits an application to the board for licensure agrees to provide the board with any and all information necessary to run a criminal background check, including but not limited to classifiable sets of fingerprints. The applicant shall be responsible for all fees associated with the performance of a background check.