Connecticut Dentist license renewal and CE requirements
Connecticut dentists must complete 25 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (State Dental Commission).
Connecticut dental licenses renew annually. Each person holding a license to practice dentistry registers with the Department of Public Health during the month of the licensee's birth (Conn. Gen. Stat. 19a-88(a)). The one year period covered by that registration is the registration period, but continuing education is counted over the preceding twenty-four months rather than the one year term.
Summary
Connecticut dentists must complete 25 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (State Dental Commission). Connecticut dental licenses renew annually. Each person holding a license to practice dentistry registers with the Department of Public Health during the month of the licensee's birth (Conn. Gen. Stat. 19a-88(a)). The one year period covered by that registration is the registration period, but continuing education is counted over the preceding twenty-four months rather than the one year term. Connecticut also mandates specific subjects. Infection control in a dental setting: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle. Prescribing controlled substances and pain management: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle. Any three of the ten mandatory topics prescribed by the Commissioner of Public Health: 3 contact hours every renewal cycle. Medical emergencies in the dental office, including current training in CPR: required (only if the licensee chooses this subject to satisfy one of the three mandatory topics); the board does not state how often. The first renewal is exempt.
Connecticut 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 | Annual (12 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Tied to the licensee's birth month |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 25 contact hoursCounted over a two-year window, separate from the renewal cycle. |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | Volunteer dental practice at a public health facility or a temporary dental clinic, eight hours of service substituted for one contact hour, up to a maximum of ten contact hours in one twenty-four-month period |
Conn. Gen. Stat. 20-126c(b) requires a dentist applying for license renewal to earn a minimum of twenty-five contact hours of continuing education within the preceding twenty-four-month period. One contact hour is a minimum of fifty minutes of activity. Because the license itself renews annually, the CE window is a rolling twenty-four months and does not match the one year registration period; that is why continuing_education.cycle_months is 24 while renewal.cycle_months is 12. The education must be in an area of the licensee's practice and reflect the professional needs of the licensee. Internet-based, on-line and other distance learning is acceptable and the department states no cap on it. The department does not approve courses or maintain a course list; qualifying activities include courses offered or approved by the ADA and affiliated state, district or local associations, dental specialty organizations or the Academy of General Dentistry, hospitals and other health care institutions, CODA or regionally accredited dental and higher education schools, agencies or businesses whose programs are CODA accredited or recognized, local, state or national medical associations, a state or local health department, or the ACGME. A licensee not in active practice during a registration period may claim an exemption, and the commissioner may waive or extend for medical disability or illness. A licensee whose license has become void must show twelve contact hours in the year before applying for reinstatement.
Required CE topics for Connecticut dentists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infection control in a dental settingRequired for registration periods beginning on and after October 1, 2016. Not less than one contact hour. | 1 contact hour | Every renewal | All licensees | Conn. Gen. Stat. 20-126c(b)(3)(B) |
| Prescribing controlled substances and pain managementNot less than one contact hour, required of every dentist renewing rather than only of prescribers. The parallel hygienist statute, Conn. Gen. Stat. 20-126l(g), contains no controlled substance requirement. | 1 contact hour | Every renewal | All licensees | Conn. Gen. Stat. 20-126c(b)(3)(C) |
| Any three of the ten mandatory topics prescribed by the Commissioner of Public HealthNot less than one contact hour in each of any three of the commissioner's ten mandatory topics, so at least three contact hours in total across three chosen subjects. The ten topics are prescribing controlled substances and pain management, record keeping and risk management, infection control, access to care, HIPAA compliance, medical emergencies in the dental office including current training in CPR, sexual assault and domestic abuse, cultural competence, mental health conditions common to veterans, and diagnostic technology. The commissioner reissues the list biennially in consultation with the Dental Commission. No single canonical topic key fits a choose-any-three requirement, so the generic ethics key is used and the real scope is described here. | 3 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | Conn. Gen. Stat. 20-126c(b)(3)(A) |
| Medical emergencies in the dental office, including current training in CPRConnecticut does not make CPR certification a standing renewal condition for dentists. CPR appears only inside one of the ten mandatory topics, medical emergencies in the dental office, which a licensee may or may not pick as one of the three. Recorded here so the reader does not assume Connecticut requires BLS the way most dental states do. | Not stated | Frequency not stated | only if the licensee chooses this subject to satisfy one of the three mandatory topics | Conn. Gen. Stat. 20-126c(b)(3)(A) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 3 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | The Department of Public Health does not approve continuing education courses, does not pre-approve coursework for individual licensees and keeps no list of courses. The licensee and the provider are responsible for making sure the activity meets the statutory criteria. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Connecticut DDS/DMD need to renew?
- Connecticut dentists must complete 25 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (State Dental Commission). Conn. Gen. Stat. 20-126c(b) requires a dentist applying for license renewal to earn a minimum of twenty-five contact hours of continuing education within the preceding twenty-four-month period. One contact hour is a minimum of fifty minutes of activity. Because the license itself renews annually, the CE window is a rolling twenty-four months and does not match the one year registration period; that is why continuing_education.cycle_months is 24 while renewal.cycle_months is 12. The education must be in an area of the licensee's practice and reflect the professional needs of the licensee. Internet-based, on-line and other distance learning is acceptable and the department states no cap on it. The department does not approve courses or maintain a course list; qualifying activities include courses offered or approved by the ADA and affiliated state, district or local associations, dental specialty organizations or the Academy of General Dentistry, hospitals and other health care institutions, CODA or regionally accredited dental and higher education schools, agencies or businesses whose programs are CODA accredited or recognized, local, state or national medical associations, a state or local health department, or the ACGME. A licensee not in active practice during a registration period may claim an exemption, and the commissioner may waive or extend for medical disability or illness. A licensee whose license has become void must show twelve contact hours in the year before applying for reinstatement.
- How often does a Connecticut DDS/DMD license need to be renewed?
- Dentist licenses in Connecticut renew every year. Connecticut dental licenses renew annually. Each person holding a license to practice dentistry registers with the Department of Public Health during the month of the licensee's birth (Conn. Gen. Stat. 19a-88(a)). The one year period covered by that registration is the registration period, but continuing education is counted over the preceding twenty-four months rather than the one year term.
- What specific CE topics are required for Connecticut dentists?
- Infection control in a dental setting: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle. Prescribing controlled substances and pain management: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle. Any three of the ten mandatory topics prescribed by the Commissioner of Public Health: 3 contact hours every renewal cycle. Medical emergencies in the dental office, including current training in CPR: required (only if the licensee chooses this subject to satisfy one of the three mandatory topics); the board does not state how often. Citations: infection control in a dental setting (Conn. Gen. Stat. 20-126c(b)(3)(B)), prescribing controlled substances and pain management (Conn. Gen. Stat. 20-126c(b)(3)(C)), any three of the ten mandatory topics prescribed by the Commissioner of Public Health (Conn. Gen. Stat. 20-126c(b)(3)(A)), and medical emergencies in the dental office, including current training in CPR (Conn. Gen. Stat. 20-126c(b)(3)(A)).
- Do Connecticut dentists have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates, the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation, and records must be kept for 3 years. The Department of Public Health does not approve continuing education courses, does not pre-approve coursework for individual licensees and keeps no list of courses. The licensee and the provider are responsible for making sure the activity meets the statutory criteria.
- Is the first Connecticut DDS/DMD renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Connecticut does not require continuing education for a DDS/DMD's first renewal.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 379, Dentistry (Sec. 20-113a Renewal of licenses; Sec. 20-126c Continuing education)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Connecticut General Statutes Sec. 19a-88, License renewal by certain health care providersStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Dentist Continuing Education Information, Connecticut Department of Public HealthState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
Connecticut licenses both dentists and dental hygienists through the Department of Public Health, with the State Dental Commission handling discipline for both under Conn. Gen. Stat. 20-114. The twenty-five contact hours, the twenty-four month window and the mandatory topics were read in the statute itself on the General Assembly site and confirmed word for word on the department's dentist CE page. The annual renewal in the birth month comes from Conn. Gen. Stat. 19a-88(a) and 20-113a. Note the mismatch a reader can trip on: the license renews every year but the CE requirement looks back twenty-four months, and the statute defines registration period as the one year term. Connecticut states no live or self-study split and explicitly accepts on-line and distance learning, so those caps are null. Carryover is not addressed anywhere in 20-126c, so carryover fields are null. topic key cpr_bls is not on the canonical list; it is used here to flag that CPR is only one option inside a choose-any-three list, not a standing requirement.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (State Dental Commission) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.