Michigan Dental Hygienist license renewal and CE requirements
Michigan dental hygienists must complete 36 contact hours of continuing education every three years to renew their license with the Michigan Board of Dentistry, Bureau of Professional Licensing, Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.
Michigan registered dental hygienist licenses expire triennially on the anniversary of the issue date and must be renewed every three years, the same cycle basis as dentists. A license not renewed by the expiration date may still be renewed within 60 days on payment of renewal and late fees, and the licensee may keep practicing during those 60 days; after 60 days the license is null and void.
Summary
Michigan dental hygienists must complete 36 contact hours of continuing education every three years to renew their license with the Michigan Board of Dentistry, Bureau of Professional Licensing, Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Michigan registered dental hygienist licenses expire triennially on the anniversary of the issue date and must be renewed every three years, the same cycle basis as dentists. A license not renewed by the expiration date may still be renewed within 60 days on payment of renewal and late fees, and the licensee may keep practicing during those 60 days; after 60 days the license is null and void. Michigan also mandates specific subjects. Pain and symptom management: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Dental ethics and jurisprudence, including delegation of duties to allied dental personnel: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle. Infection control, including sterilization of hand pieces, personal protective equipment and the CDC infection control guidelines: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle. Implicit bias training: 3 contact hours every renewal cycle (every individual applying for renewal, reregistration or relicensure under article 15 of the Public Health Code, except those licensed under part 188). Training in identifying victims of human trafficking: a one-time requirement (every individual seeking licensure or registration, or already licensed or registered, under article 15 of the Public Health Code). Current BLS or ACLS certification for healthcare providers with a hands-on component: required every renewal cycle. No more than 18 contact hours may be self-study or online.
Michigan Dental Hygienist 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 | Three-year (36 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Tied to the original issue date |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 36 contact hours |
| Category 1 minimum | 12 contact hours |
| Live or interactive minimum | 12 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | At most 18 contact hours |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
| Other accepted activities | Volunteer patient or supportive dental services under R 338.11704a(1)(m), which may count toward the total but not toward the pain and symptom management, ethics and jurisprudence, infection control or clinical issues minimums |
R 338.11704(2) requires an applicant for registered dental hygienist license renewal who has been licensed for the full three year period to complete not less than 36 hours of board approved continuing education during the three years before the end of the license cycle. This is the hygienist rule; the dentist total of 60 hours sits in R 338.11701(2) and neither figure was derived from the other. Within the 36 hours, at least 12 must be in programs directly related to clinical issues including delivery of care, materials used in delivery of care and pharmacology, and at least 12 must be earned by attending synchronous live courses, in person or virtual, that allow direct interaction between faculty and participants. No more than 18 of the 36 hours may be earned asynchronously and non-interactively; the 12 hour clinical minimum is recorded in the category 1 field because Michigan uses no category 1 or category 2 language of its own. A licensee holding both a registered dental hygienist license and a registered dental assistant license still completes 36 hours, but at least 12 must be devoted to RDH functions and at least 12 to RDA functions. Hours earned through volunteer patient or supportive dental services do not count toward any of the subject minimums, and a licensee may not earn credit twice for an identical program in the same renewal period. Implicit bias training required by R 338.7004 may not be counted as continuing education for a dental hygiene license, which is an express carve-out in R 338.11704(8).
Required CE topics for Michigan dental hygienists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pain and symptom managementNot less than 2 of the 36 hours. May include behavior management, psychology of pain, pharmacology, behavior modification, stress management, clinical applications and drug interactions. Hours earned through volunteer patient or supportive dental services do not count toward this minimum. The dentist figure is 3 hours, set separately in R 338.11701(6)(a); this hygienist figure was read in the hygienist rule. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | Mich. Admin. Code R 338.11704(7)(c) |
| Dental ethics and jurisprudence, including delegation of duties to allied dental personnelAt least 1 of the 36 hours, which may be completed in one or more courses. Hours earned through volunteer patient or supportive dental services do not count toward this minimum. | 1 contact hour | Every renewal | All licensees | Mich. Admin. Code R 338.11704(7)(e) |
| Infection control, including sterilization of hand pieces, personal protective equipment and the CDC infection control guidelinesAt least 1 of the 36 hours. Hours earned through volunteer patient or supportive dental services do not count toward this minimum. | 1 contact hour | Every renewal | All licensees | Mich. Admin. Code R 338.11704(7)(f) |
| Implicit bias trainingA minimum of one hour of implicit bias training for each year of the license cycle, which is 3 hours for the three year dental hygiene cycle. Hours may not be carried forward from one renewal cycle to the next. For dental hygiene the training is expressly excluded from continuing education credit by R 338.11704(8), so these 3 hours are in addition to the 36, not part of them. | 3 contact hours | Every renewal | Every individual applying for renewal, reregistration or relicensure under article 15 of the Public Health Code, except those licensed under part 188 | Mich. Admin. Code R 338.7004(2) |
| Training in identifying victims of human traffickingA one time training. R 338.11704(8) allows this training, unlike implicit bias training, to satisfy both the one time requirement and a continuing education requirement. Content must cover the types and venues of human trafficking, identifying victims and warning signs in health care settings for adults and minors, and reporting resources. Acceptable formats include teleconference, webinar, online or live presentation, and printed or electronic media, including reading a qualifying peer reviewed article. The rule states no hour count. | Not stated | One time | Every individual seeking licensure or registration, or already licensed or registered, under article 15 of the Public Health Code | MCL 333.16148; Mich. Admin. Code R 338.11271 |
| Current BLS or ACLS certification for healthcare providers with a hands-on componentA renewal applicant must possess current certification in BLS or ACLS for healthcare providers with a hands-on component, from an organization whose standards are substantially equivalent to those adopted in R 338.11705(4). The rule does not state that the certification counts toward the 36 hours, so no hours are recorded. The topic key basic_life_support is not one of the canonical keys. | Not stated | Every renewal | All licensees | Mich. Admin. Code R 338.11704(5) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 5 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Continuing education must be approved by the board under R 338.11704a, which lists the acceptable activities and their limits. Submitting the renewal application is the licensee's certification of compliance, and the board may require an applicant or licensee to submit evidence. Failure to comply is a violation of section 16221(h) of the Public Health Code, MCL 333.16221. A waiver may be requested under section 16205 of the code, MCL 333.16205, and must reach the department at least 30 days before the last regularly scheduled board meeting before the license expires. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Michigan RDH need to renew?
- Michigan dental hygienists must complete 36 contact hours of continuing education every three years to renew their license with the Michigan Board of Dentistry, Bureau of Professional Licensing, Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. R 338.11704(2) requires an applicant for registered dental hygienist license renewal who has been licensed for the full three year period to complete not less than 36 hours of board approved continuing education during the three years before the end of the license cycle. This is the hygienist rule; the dentist total of 60 hours sits in R 338.11701(2) and neither figure was derived from the other. Within the 36 hours, at least 12 must be in programs directly related to clinical issues including delivery of care, materials used in delivery of care and pharmacology, and at least 12 must be earned by attending synchronous live courses, in person or virtual, that allow direct interaction between faculty and participants. No more than 18 of the 36 hours may be earned asynchronously and non-interactively; the 12 hour clinical minimum is recorded in the category 1 field because Michigan uses no category 1 or category 2 language of its own. A licensee holding both a registered dental hygienist license and a registered dental assistant license still completes 36 hours, but at least 12 must be devoted to RDH functions and at least 12 to RDA functions. Hours earned through volunteer patient or supportive dental services do not count toward any of the subject minimums, and a licensee may not earn credit twice for an identical program in the same renewal period. Implicit bias training required by R 338.7004 may not be counted as continuing education for a dental hygiene license, which is an express carve-out in R 338.11704(8).
- How often does a Michigan RDH license need to be renewed?
- Dental Hygienist licenses in Michigan renew every three years. Michigan registered dental hygienist licenses expire triennially on the anniversary of the issue date and must be renewed every three years, the same cycle basis as dentists. A license not renewed by the expiration date may still be renewed within 60 days on payment of renewal and late fees, and the licensee may keep practicing during those 60 days; after 60 days the license is null and void.
- What specific CE topics are required for Michigan dental hygienists?
- Pain and symptom management: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Dental ethics and jurisprudence, including delegation of duties to allied dental personnel: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle. Infection control, including sterilization of hand pieces, personal protective equipment and the CDC infection control guidelines: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle. Implicit bias training: 3 contact hours every renewal cycle (every individual applying for renewal, reregistration or relicensure under article 15 of the Public Health Code, except those licensed under part 188). Training in identifying victims of human trafficking: a one-time requirement (every individual seeking licensure or registration, or already licensed or registered, under article 15 of the Public Health Code). Current BLS or ACLS certification for healthcare providers with a hands-on component: required every renewal cycle. Citations: pain and symptom management (Mich. Admin. Code R 338.11704(7)(c)), dental ethics and jurisprudence, including delegation of duties to allied dental personnel (Mich. Admin. Code R 338.11704(7)(e)), infection control, including sterilization of hand pieces, personal protective equipment and the CDC infection control guidelines (Mich. Admin. Code R 338.11704(7)(f)), implicit bias training (Mich. Admin. Code R 338.7004(2)), training in identifying victims of human trafficking (MCL 333.16148; Mich. Admin. Code R 338.11271), and Current BLS or ACLS certification for healthcare providers with a hands-on component (Mich. Admin. Code R 338.11704(5)).
- Do Michigan dental hygienists 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 5 years. Continuing education must be approved by the board under R 338.11704a, which lists the acceptable activities and their limits. Submitting the renewal application is the licensee's certification of compliance, and the board may require an applicant or licensee to submit evidence. Failure to comply is a violation of section 16221(h) of the Public Health Code, MCL 333.16221. A waiver may be requested under section 16205 of the code, MCL 333.16205, and must reach the department at least 30 days before the last regularly scheduled board meeting before the license expires.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Mich. Admin. Code R 338.11101 to R 338.11821, Board of Dentistry general rules (R 338.11704 license renewal for a RDH, R 338.11704a acceptable continuing education, R 338.11271 human trafficking training)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Mich. Admin. Code R 338.7001 to R 338.7005, general renewal rules (R 338.7002 triennial expiration on the issue date for Dental Hygienist, R 338.7004 implicit bias training standards)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- MCL 333.16201, Renewal of license or registrationStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Dental, Bureau of Professional Licensing, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory AffairsState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
The 36 hour total and every hygienist subject minimum were read in R 338.11704 on Michigan's own administrative rules server, not derived from the dentist rule; the dentist rule R 338.11701 sets 60 hours with a 3 hour pain and symptom management minimum, a 20 hour clinical minimum, a 20 hour live minimum and a 30 hour asynchronous cap, all different from the hygienist figures of 36, 2, 12, 12 and 18. The ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us URLs used here carry ReturnHTML=True and returned HTML, not a PDF; the response content type was checked before reading. R 338.7002 lists Dental Hygienist as a triennial license expiring on the issue date. Implicit bias training is required by R 338.7004 at one hour per year of the cycle but R 338.11704(8) bars a dental hygiene licensee from counting it as continuing education, so the 3 hours sit outside the 36. Human trafficking training is one time and may be double counted. The rules state no carryover provision, and the hour totals are written for an applicant licensed for the whole three year period; the rules for shorter first terms were not located, so exempt_first_renewal and first_renewal_prorated are left null. Michigan also licenses dental therapists, whose renewal rule R 338.11703 sets 35 hours on a two year cycle; that is a third credential and is not mixed into this record.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Michigan Board of Dentistry, Bureau of Professional Licensing, Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.