Oklahoma Dental Hygienist license renewal and CE requirements
Oklahoma dental hygienists must complete 20 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry.
Every license begins January 1 and expires December 31. On or before the last day of December each year a dental hygienist must submit a completed renewal application with the annual renewal fee. Continuing education is on a separate two year clock and is not reported every year. If the fee is not paid within two months after January 1 the Board gives notice that the license will be cancelled as of April 1.
Summary
Oklahoma dental hygienists must complete 20 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry. Every license begins January 1 and expires December 31. On or before the last day of December each year a dental hygienist must submit a completed renewal application with the annual renewal fee. Continuing education is on a separate two year clock and is not reported every year. If the fee is not paid within two months after January 1 the Board gives notice that the license will be cancelled as of April 1. Oklahoma also mandates specific subjects. Ethics class approved by the Board: required every renewal cycle. Live, in-person cardiopulmonary resuscitation class approved by the Board: required every renewal cycle. No more than 10 contact hours may be self-study or online.
Oklahoma 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 | Annual (12 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Same date for every licensee, 12/31 each cycleFirst renewal is prorated. |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 20 contact hoursCounted over a two-year window, separate from the renewal cycle. |
| Self-study or online cap | At most 10 contact hours |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
| Other accepted activities | Classes at a CODA accredited university, college or technology center, counted as the credit hours shown on the transcript; Teaching at a CODA accredited school, with one hour of credit per 18 hours of clinical instruction; Publishing papers, presenting clinics and lecturing, six credit hours per hour of original presentation, capped at 50 percent of the total required hours; Uncompensated volunteer work at a Board approved event, up to 4 hours for a dental hygienist; Practice management related courses, up to 2 hours for a dental hygienist; Organized study clubs; Health related programs sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or Armed Forces at a government facility |
A dental hygienist owes 20 hours with no more than 10 of them completed online. This figure was read as a hygienist figure in 59 O.S. 328.41(D)(1), which states the dentist total of 40 hours with a 20 hour online cap and the hygienist total of 20 hours with a 10 hour online cap in separate sentences. The hygienist caps on volunteer work (4 hours) and practice management (2 hours) are also stated separately from the dentist caps of 7 and 4. The statute defines the requirement as consisting of a live in-person CPR class approved by the Board, a Board approved ethics class and any combination of the listed activities, so CPR and ethics are components of the 20 hours. The two hour opioid and scheduled drug prescribing requirement in 59 O.S. 328.41(C)(1)(c) is written for a dentist only and does not reach hygienists. The current reporting period runs July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027 and hours are reported through CE Broker. Failure to report draws a $500 fine for a dental hygienist, a lower figure than the $1,000 dentist fine. New graduates are not required to complete continuing education for the first year after graduation; the requirement begins July 1 of the calendar year following graduation and hours are prorated by year of new licensure. Hygienists in full time CODA accredited graduate study, internships or residencies are exempt for a continuing education year per academic year completed, and a hygienist on full time active duty deployed outside the United States for at least 18 months of a two year cycle is exempt.
Required CE topics for Oklahoma dental hygienists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethics class approved by the BoardThe statute names the ethics class as part of what the continuing education requirement consists of for a dentist or dental hygienist but does not state a number of hours for it. | Not stated | Every renewal | All licensees | 59 O.S. 328.41(C)(1)(b) |
| Live, in-person cardiopulmonary resuscitation class approved by the BoardRecorded here as a mandated subject because the statute makes the CPR class part of what the continuing education requirement consists of rather than a separate condition of renewal. The Board's continuing education page states the class must be live and in person with a live hands-on compression section, and that a fully online CPR course is not accepted. No number of hours is stated. | Not stated | Every renewal | All licensees | 59 O.S. 328.41(C)(1)(a) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | The CPR class and the ethics class must be approved by the Board, and the other qualifying activities are the categories listed in 59 O.S. 328.41(C)(1)(d). Since July 1, 2025 hours are reported through CE Broker at cebroker.com. The Board conducts an audit at the end of the reporting period and audited licensees must produce proof of completion. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Oklahoma RDH need to renew?
- Oklahoma dental hygienists must complete 20 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry. A dental hygienist owes 20 hours with no more than 10 of them completed online. This figure was read as a hygienist figure in 59 O.S. 328.41(D)(1), which states the dentist total of 40 hours with a 20 hour online cap and the hygienist total of 20 hours with a 10 hour online cap in separate sentences. The hygienist caps on volunteer work (4 hours) and practice management (2 hours) are also stated separately from the dentist caps of 7 and 4. The statute defines the requirement as consisting of a live in-person CPR class approved by the Board, a Board approved ethics class and any combination of the listed activities, so CPR and ethics are components of the 20 hours. The two hour opioid and scheduled drug prescribing requirement in 59 O.S. 328.41(C)(1)(c) is written for a dentist only and does not reach hygienists. The current reporting period runs July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027 and hours are reported through CE Broker. Failure to report draws a $500 fine for a dental hygienist, a lower figure than the $1,000 dentist fine. New graduates are not required to complete continuing education for the first year after graduation; the requirement begins July 1 of the calendar year following graduation and hours are prorated by year of new licensure. Hygienists in full time CODA accredited graduate study, internships or residencies are exempt for a continuing education year per academic year completed, and a hygienist on full time active duty deployed outside the United States for at least 18 months of a two year cycle is exempt.
- How often does a Oklahoma RDH license need to be renewed?
- Dental Hygienist licenses in Oklahoma renew every year. Every license begins January 1 and expires December 31. On or before the last day of December each year a dental hygienist must submit a completed renewal application with the annual renewal fee. Continuing education is on a separate two year clock and is not reported every year. If the fee is not paid within two months after January 1 the Board gives notice that the license will be cancelled as of April 1.
- What specific CE topics are required for Oklahoma dental hygienists?
- Ethics class approved by the Board: required every renewal cycle. Live, in-person cardiopulmonary resuscitation class approved by the Board: required every renewal cycle. Citations: ethics class approved by the Board (59 O.S. 328.41(C)(1)(b)) and live, in-person cardiopulmonary resuscitation class approved by the Board (59 O.S. 328.41(C)(1)(a)).
- Do Oklahoma dental hygienists have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates and the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation. The CPR class and the ethics class must be approved by the Board, and the other qualifying activities are the categories listed in 59 O.S. 328.41(C)(1)(d). Since July 1, 2025 hours are reported through CE Broker at cebroker.com. The Board conducts an audit at the end of the reporting period and audited licensees must produce proof of completion.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- 59 O.S. 328.41, Annual Renewal, Continuing Education, Active Duty Military Service Exemption, Reinstatement (Oklahoma Statutes Citationized, OSCN)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Continuing Education, Oklahoma Board of DentistryState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Renewals, Oklahoma Board of DentistryState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Statutes and Rules, Oklahoma Board of DentistryState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
One board, the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry, licenses both dentists and dental hygienists, and one statute section sets both requirements. The 20 hour hygienist total and the 10 hour online cap were read as hygienist figures in 59 O.S. 328.41(D)(1) on OSCN, not scaled from the dentist figure. The Board's continuing education page states the hygienist components as BLS/CPR and ethics with no opioid line, and gives the hygienist penalty as $500. The Board's administrative rules, OAC 195, are published on rules.ok.gov and as a PDF on the Board site; neither was opened and no value here depends on them, so record retention is left null. The statute states no carryover rule.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.