The Wyoming Legislature created the Board of Dental Examiners in 1905 to protect the welfare of the public by regulating the practice of dentistry. Wyoming Legislature added the regulation of Dental Hygienists to the practice act in 1921.

The Board is not the same as the Wyoming Dental Association or the Wyoming Dental Hygienists Association. The Board, unlike the associations, does not advocate on behalf of the licensee, but on behalf of the public consumer. While the Board and the Association may collaborate, their roles are different.