Alaska Dentist license renewal and CE requirements
Alaska dentists must complete 32 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Alaska Board of Dental Examiners.
Alaska dental licenses are issued for a biennial licensing period and every license of a given type expires on the same statewide date at the end of that period. At least 60 days before expiration the department notifies the licensed dentist, who must return a completed renewal form, the fee and evidence of continued professional competence; failing to receive the notice does not excuse renewing. Continuing education must be completed during the concluding licensing period.
Summary
Alaska dentists must complete 32 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Alaska Board of Dental Examiners. Alaska dental licenses are issued for a biennial licensing period and every license of a given type expires on the same statewide date at the end of that period. At least 60 days before expiration the department notifies the licensed dentist, who must return a completed renewal form, the fee and evidence of continued professional competence; failing to receive the notice does not excuse renewing. Continuing education must be completed during the concluding licensing period. Alaska also mandates specific subjects. Pain management and opioid use and addiction: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle (dentists who hold a valid federal DEA registration number). Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification: required every renewal cycle. Hours do not carry over between cycles.
Alaska Dentist renewal and continuing education rules
"Not stated" means the board's pages and rules we read do not address it. We do not fill in typical values.
| Renewal cycle | Two-year (24 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Same date for every licenseeFirst renewal is prorated. |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 32 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | No |
| First renewal exempt | No |
| Other accepted activities | Presenting a lecture or course, three contact hours for each 50 minutes of an initial presentation and one contact hour for each 50 minutes of a repeat presentation; Volunteer service in a dental related setting, not more than two credit hours for at least two hours of service; Board approved self-study programs offered by a dental or dental hygiene college or university, the AGD or the ADA; Board approved organized study club courses |
12 AAC 28.400(a) requires an applicant for renewal of a dentistry license to document at least 32 contact hours of continuing education plus CPR certification meeting 12 AAC 28.920, and, if the applicant holds a valid federal DEA registration number, at least two hours of continuing education in pain management and opioid use and addiction. One contact hour equals a minimum of 50 minutes of instruction; one academic semester credit hour equals 15 contact hours, one academic quarter credit equals 10 contact hours, and one continuing education unit or credit equals one contact hour. CPR training may count toward the total but no more than four hours of it for the entire renewal period (12 AAC 28.410(c)). Courses in practice management and risk management are limited to three hours per licensing period. Not more than eight hours of continuing education taken through the Internet in a 24 hour period may apply, which is a per day limit rather than a cap on total online hours, so max_self_study_or_online is left null. Under 12 AAC 28.400(f) the hours must be completed during the concluding licensing period, so hours are not carried forward. A first time renewal applicant instead documents at least one half of the required contact hours for each complete year licensed during the concluding licensing period (12 AAC 28.405(a)). Permits to administer deep sedation or general anesthesia carry their own separate continuing education under 12 AAC 28.010, including four or more contact hours of hands-on advanced airway management and eight contact hours on physical evaluation, medical emergencies, monitoring or pharmacology each biennial licensing period; those permit hours are not part of the 32 hour total recorded here.
Required CE topics for Alaska dentists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pain management and opioid use and addictionThe statute directs the board to require not less than two hours of this education in the two years preceding a renewal application unless the licensee shows the board that the licensee does not currently hold a valid federal DEA registration number. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | dentists who hold a valid federal DEA registration number | 12 AAC 28.400(a)(3); AS 08.36.070(a)(7) |
| Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certificationCertification must be based on training equivalent to an American Heart Association or American Red Cross course; online courses are not acceptable unless there is a hands-on component. It is a renewal condition in its own right, and the hours may also be counted as continuing education up to four hours for the entire renewal period. No fixed hour value is stated for the certification itself. | Not stated | Every renewal | All licensees | 12 AAC 28.400(a)(2); 12 AAC 28.920; 12 AAC 28.410(c) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Not stated |
| Approved providers | Only courses, workshops or symposiums approved, provided or sponsored by the American Dental Hygienist's Association, the Academy of General Dentistry or the American Dental Association; other courses offered by dental or dental hygiene colleges, universities or similar organizations that the board approves; board approved organized study club courses; and self-study programs offered by a dental or dental hygiene college or university, the AGD or the ADA that the board has approved. Board acceptance of a course is valid for two years unless its content changes (12 AAC 28.410). |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Alaska DDS/DMD need to renew?
- Alaska dentists must complete 32 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Alaska Board of Dental Examiners. 12 AAC 28.400(a) requires an applicant for renewal of a dentistry license to document at least 32 contact hours of continuing education plus CPR certification meeting 12 AAC 28.920, and, if the applicant holds a valid federal DEA registration number, at least two hours of continuing education in pain management and opioid use and addiction. One contact hour equals a minimum of 50 minutes of instruction; one academic semester credit hour equals 15 contact hours, one academic quarter credit equals 10 contact hours, and one continuing education unit or credit equals one contact hour. CPR training may count toward the total but no more than four hours of it for the entire renewal period (12 AAC 28.410(c)). Courses in practice management and risk management are limited to three hours per licensing period. Not more than eight hours of continuing education taken through the Internet in a 24 hour period may apply, which is a per day limit rather than a cap on total online hours, so max_self_study_or_online is left null. Under 12 AAC 28.400(f) the hours must be completed during the concluding licensing period, so hours are not carried forward. A first time renewal applicant instead documents at least one half of the required contact hours for each complete year licensed during the concluding licensing period (12 AAC 28.405(a)). Permits to administer deep sedation or general anesthesia carry their own separate continuing education under 12 AAC 28.010, including four or more contact hours of hands-on advanced airway management and eight contact hours on physical evaluation, medical emergencies, monitoring or pharmacology each biennial licensing period; those permit hours are not part of the 32 hour total recorded here.
- How often does a Alaska DDS/DMD license need to be renewed?
- Dentist licenses in Alaska renew every two years. Alaska dental licenses are issued for a biennial licensing period and every license of a given type expires on the same statewide date at the end of that period. At least 60 days before expiration the department notifies the licensed dentist, who must return a completed renewal form, the fee and evidence of continued professional competence; failing to receive the notice does not excuse renewing. Continuing education must be completed during the concluding licensing period.
- What specific CE topics are required for Alaska dentists?
- Pain management and opioid use and addiction: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle (dentists who hold a valid federal DEA registration number). Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification: required every renewal cycle. Citations: pain management and opioid use and addiction (12 AAC 28.400(a)(3); AS 08.36.070(a)(7)) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification (12 AAC 28.400(a)(2); 12 AAC 28.920; 12 AAC 28.410(c)).
- Do Alaska dentists have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates. Only courses, workshops or symposiums approved, provided or sponsored by the American Dental Hygienist's Association, the Academy of General Dentistry or the American Dental Association; other courses offered by dental or dental hygiene colleges, universities or similar organizations that the board approves; board approved organized study club courses; and self-study programs offered by a dental or dental hygiene college or university, the AGD or the ADA that the board has approved. Board acceptance of a course is valid for two years unless its content changes (12 AAC 28.410).
- Is the first Alaska DDS/DMD renewal exempt from CE?
- No. Alaska applies the continuing education requirement to the first renewal as well.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Alaska Administrative Code Title 12 Chapter 28, Board of Dental Examiners (12 AAC 28.400 to 12 AAC 28.420)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Alaska Statutes 2025, AS 08.36.070 General powers and AS 08.36.250 License renewal, lapse, and reinstatementStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
Alaska runs one Board of Dental Examiners for both credentials, but the two are licensed under different statutes: dentists under AS 08.36 and dental hygienists under AS 08.32. Hour totals and every continuing education limit were read from 12 AAC 28.400 to 12 AAC 28.420 as published on the Alaska Legislature site, which renders the code as HTML. The board's own pages on commerce.alaska.gov returned HTTP 403 to every automated client tried, so the board homepage recorded in board_url was not read and no renewal page URL is recorded. The exact calendar expiration date is not in the statute or in Chapter 28; renewal dates for centrally licensed professions are set administratively and published on the division site that could not be reached, so fixed_deadline_month_day is null. Record retention length is set by 12 AAC 02.960(f), which was not read, so retention_years is null. topic key cpr_bls is not on the canonical list; it is used because CPR certification is an express renewal condition and no canonical key covers it.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Alaska Board of Dental Examiners before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.