(a) An applicant for a license to practice dental hygiene in this state must be:
(1) at least 18 years of age;
(2) a graduate of an accredited high school or hold a certificate of high school equivalency; and
(3) a graduate of a recognized school of dentistry or dental hygiene accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association and approved by the board or an alternative dental hygiene training program.
(b) A school of dentistry or dental hygiene described by Subsection (a)(3) must include at least two full academic years of instruction or its equivalent at the postsecondary level.