Mississippi Dentist license renewal and CE requirements
Mississippi dentists must complete 40 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners.
Dentists renew for a two-year cycle in every odd-numbered year. The board's online renewal portal opens September 1 and the license must be renewed by October 31. Renewals filed from November 1 through December 31 are assessed a penalty with no exceptions, and any license not renewed by December 31 is voided on January 1 for failure to re-register. Renewal is online only; the board no longer accepts paper forms, and it emails notice that the portal is open no later than August 31.
Summary
Mississippi dentists must complete 40 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners. Dentists renew for a two-year cycle in every odd-numbered year. The board's online renewal portal opens September 1 and the license must be renewed by October 31. Renewals filed from November 1 through December 31 are assessed a penalty with no exceptions, and any license not renewed by December 31 is voided on January 1 for failure to re-register. Renewal is online only; the board no longer accepts paper forms, and it emails notice that the portal is open no later than August 31. Mississippi also mandates specific subjects. Continuing dental education regarding the prescribing of opioids: 3 contact hours every renewal cycle (dentists who prescribe, administer or dispense any controlled substance in Mississippi, or who propose to do so). Cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification: required every renewal cycle. The first renewal is exempt.
Mississippi 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 licensee, 10/31 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 40 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | Attendance at official meetings of the approved dental organizations; Attendance at official meetings of the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners or its committees, up to 4 hours per meeting; CPR, ACLS and PALS certification, capped at 8, 16 and 16 hours respectively per biennium; Administering ADEX dental clinical licensure examinations, up to 7.5 hours per examination day; Administering ADEX dental hygiene examinations, up to 6 hours per day and 3 hours per half day; Calibrating ADEX dental components, up to 3 hours per component calibrated; Passing an ADA-recognized specialty board recertification examination, up to 20 hours; Instructing board-approved continuing dental education, same credit as participants, once per biennium per course; Other courses or activities approved by the board case by case |
The board states dentists must obtain a minimum of 40 hours of continuing dental education for the two-year cycle and dental hygienists a minimum of 20, so the two totals are set separately in the same regulation. Board Regulation 41 frames the biennial period on the calendar: for dentists it runs January 1 of an even year through December 31 of the following odd year, which is offset from the September to October renewal window. Hours may be earned in person or through virtual, correspondence or other non-in-person formats; the current regulation requires a post-study examination for non-in-person courses but sets no percentage cap on them. Older third party summaries still describe a 25 percent cap on computer-based, video, audio, reading and correspondence work; that language is not in the regulation as amended November 10, 2024, and the board's continuing education FAQ does not state a cap either, so no cap is recorded. CPR does count here: the board requires every actively licensed dentist to hold current CPR certification under Board Regulation 45, and it determined at its April 17, 2026 meeting that a licensee with continuous BLS, ACLS or PALS certification may count all the hours allowed under Regulation 41 toward the total, subject to caps of 8 hours for CPR and 16 each for ACLS and PALS. The first biennial renewal period is exempt from continuing education, as are licensees in full-time postgraduate specialty training and licensees whose license was inactive for the period.
Required CE topics for Mississippi dentists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continuing dental education regarding the prescribing of opioidsThree hours of board-approved CDE per biennial renewal period on opioid prescribing. Scoped to prescribing dentists only. Mississippi dental hygienists do not prescribe controlled substances and this requirement does not appear in the hygienist provisions. Prescribing dentists must also be registered with the Mississippi Prescription Monitoring Program under Board Regulation 35, which is a registration duty rather than a CE requirement. | 3 contact hours | Every renewal | Dentists who prescribe, administer or dispense any controlled substance in Mississippi, or who propose to do so | 30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 2301, R. 1.41, Board Regulation 41, section 2.D |
| Cardiopulmonary resuscitation certificationEvery dentist holding an active Mississippi license must be currently certified in CPR, and the course must include a hands-on mannequin component. Approved courses include ACLS, PALS, American Heart Association and American Red Cross programs. Unlike many states, Mississippi lets the certification count toward the CE total, capped at 8 hours for CPR and 16 hours each for ACLS and PALS per biennium. The regulation states no fixed number of required CPR hours, only these ceilings on what may be claimed. Hours earned for CPR may not be used toward the separate CDE needed to move from inactive to active status or to reinstate a license. | Not stated | Every renewal | All licensees | 30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 2301, R. 1.45, Board Regulation 45; Board Regulation 41, section 4.D |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | Yes |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 3 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Courses must be board approved. Board Regulation 41 recognizes dental and dental hygiene courses approved by the American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, Mississippi Dental Association, Mississippi Dental Society, National Dental Association, National Dental Hygienists' Association, Mississippi Dental Hygienists' Association, American Dental Hygienists' Association, American Association of Dental Boards, and the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure, plus courses the board approves individually. A course delivered at an accredited dental teaching institution still needs approval from one of those organizations or from the board. Board approval status must be printed on brochures and completion certificates. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Mississippi DDS/DMD need to renew?
- Mississippi dentists must complete 40 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners. The board states dentists must obtain a minimum of 40 hours of continuing dental education for the two-year cycle and dental hygienists a minimum of 20, so the two totals are set separately in the same regulation. Board Regulation 41 frames the biennial period on the calendar: for dentists it runs January 1 of an even year through December 31 of the following odd year, which is offset from the September to October renewal window. Hours may be earned in person or through virtual, correspondence or other non-in-person formats; the current regulation requires a post-study examination for non-in-person courses but sets no percentage cap on them. Older third party summaries still describe a 25 percent cap on computer-based, video, audio, reading and correspondence work; that language is not in the regulation as amended November 10, 2024, and the board's continuing education FAQ does not state a cap either, so no cap is recorded. CPR does count here: the board requires every actively licensed dentist to hold current CPR certification under Board Regulation 45, and it determined at its April 17, 2026 meeting that a licensee with continuous BLS, ACLS or PALS certification may count all the hours allowed under Regulation 41 toward the total, subject to caps of 8 hours for CPR and 16 each for ACLS and PALS. The first biennial renewal period is exempt from continuing education, as are licensees in full-time postgraduate specialty training and licensees whose license was inactive for the period.
- How often does a Mississippi DDS/DMD license need to be renewed?
- Dentist licenses in Mississippi renew every two years. Dentists renew for a two-year cycle in every odd-numbered year. The board's online renewal portal opens September 1 and the license must be renewed by October 31. Renewals filed from November 1 through December 31 are assessed a penalty with no exceptions, and any license not renewed by December 31 is voided on January 1 for failure to re-register. Renewal is online only; the board no longer accepts paper forms, and it emails notice that the portal is open no later than August 31.
- What specific CE topics are required for Mississippi dentists?
- Continuing dental education regarding the prescribing of opioids: 3 contact hours every renewal cycle (dentists who prescribe, administer or dispense any controlled substance in Mississippi, or who propose to do so). Cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification: required every renewal cycle. Citations: continuing dental education regarding the prescribing of opioids (30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 2301, R. 1.41, Board Regulation 41, section 2.D) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification (30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 2301, R. 1.45, Board Regulation 45; Board Regulation 41, section 4.D).
- Do Mississippi dentists have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Proof of completion must be submitted with the renewal, the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation, and records must be kept for 3 years. Courses must be board approved. Board Regulation 41 recognizes dental and dental hygiene courses approved by the American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, Mississippi Dental Association, Mississippi Dental Society, National Dental Association, National Dental Hygienists' Association, Mississippi Dental Hygienists' Association, American Dental Hygienists' Association, American Association of Dental Boards, and the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure, plus courses the board approves individually. A course delivered at an accredited dental teaching institution still needs approval from one of those organizations or from the board. Board approval status must be printed on brochures and completion certificates.
- Is the first Mississippi DDS/DMD renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Mississippi 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.
- Continuing Education Frequently Asked Questions, Mississippi State Board of Dental ExaminersState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- License Renewal Frequently Asked Questions, Mississippi State Board of Dental ExaminersState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Frequently Asked Questions, Mississippi State Board of Dental ExaminersState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Prescribing by Dentists Frequently Asked Questions, Mississippi State Board of Dental ExaminersState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- 30 Miss. Code R. 2301-1.41, Board Regulation Number 41, Continuing Education (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
Mississippi runs one regulator, the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners, for both credentials. The 40 hour dentist total and the two-year cycle were both read on the board's own continuing education FAQ page, and the board also states the hygienist total of 20 hours on that same page, so the two figures were read side by side rather than derived from each other. The renewal window, the odd-year dentist cycle and the even-year hygienist cycle come from the board's license renewal FAQ. Board Regulation 41 itself is published by the board only as a PDF, which was not fetched; the full rule text was read on the Cornell LII mirror and is cited as a supporting third party source for the opioid hours, the exemptions, the CPR caps and the alternative activities. The board does not state a carryover rule, a live or interactive minimum, or a category 1 minimum. Mississippi expresses no first-renewal proration of the license term, only a continuing education exemption for the first biennial renewal period. Proof at renewal is recorded as true because Regulation 41 makes each licensee responsible for submitting proof of completion of each approved course to the board's continuing education tracking system, in addition to certifying compliance on the renewal itself; records must also be kept three years. The mandatory topic key cpr_certification is not on the canonical topic list in the brief, so a short snake_case key was used.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.