Oregon Dentist license renewal and CE requirements
Oregon dentists must complete 40 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Oregon Board of Dentistry.
A dentist renews every two years. The renewal fee and the completed online renewal application are due by March 31. Dentists licensed in odd numbered years apply for renewal in odd numbered years and dentists licensed in even numbered years apply for renewal in even numbered years. The Board mails a courtesy renewal notice before expiration, and a licensee who does not renew before the expiration date may not practice until the license is reinstated.
Summary
Oregon dentists must complete 40 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Oregon Board of Dentistry. A dentist renews every two years. The renewal fee and the completed online renewal application are due by March 31. Dentists licensed in odd numbered years apply for renewal in odd numbered years and dentists licensed in even numbered years apply for renewal in even numbered years. The Board mails a courtesy renewal notice before expiration, and a licensee who does not renew before the expiration date may not practice until the license is reinstated. Oregon also mandates specific subjects. Medical emergencies in a dental office: 3 contact hours every renewal cycle. Oregon specific pain management course from the Pain Management Commission of the Oregon Health Authority: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle. Infection control: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Cultural competency: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Placement and restoration of dental implants: 7 contact hours every renewal cycle (dentists who place dental implants).
Oregon 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, 03/31 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 | Not stated |
| Other accepted activities | Attendance at lectures, study groups, post-graduate courses or the scientific sessions of conventions; Research, graduate study, teaching or scientific presentation, with teaching and presentations capped at 12 hours for a dentist; Correspondence courses, videotapes and distance learning that come with a completion certificate naming the dentist, course title, completion date, provider and hours; Volunteer pro bono dental services in Oregon and community oral health instruction; Authoring a publication, participating in a state board, peer review, specialty examinations taken after initial licensure, and examination development, capped at 6 hours |
A dentist owes 40 hours of continuing education every two years, related to direct clinical patient care or the practice of dental public health. That figure is set in OAR 818-021-0060(1) and is separate from the 24 hours OAR 818-021-0070 sets for a dental hygienist. No more than four hours of Practice Management and Patient Relations may be counted in a renewal period for a dentist, against two hours for a hygienist. The Board's continuing education page states that all licensees must maintain at least a current Healthcare Provider BLS or equivalent certification; that is a certification condition rather than a counted subject, and the rule does not list it among the continuing education categories. The rule states no cap on correspondence, video or distance learning, no carryover provision and no first renewal exemption.
Required CE topics for Oregon dentists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical emergencies in a dental officeThe same three hour requirement is set separately for dental hygienists in OAR 818-021-0070. | 3 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | OAR 818-021-0060(4) |
| Oregon specific pain management course from the Pain Management Commission of the Oregon Health AuthorityRequired of all dentists at each renewal, effective July 1, 2022. OAR 818-021-0070 sets no comparable requirement for dental hygienists and the Board's continuing education page lists it only under dentists. | 1 contact hour | Every renewal | All licensees | OAR 818-021-0060(5) |
| Infection controlThe Board's page adds that if an OSHA certificate is used it must delineate the difference in hours between OSHA and infection control. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | OAR 818-021-0060(6) |
| Cultural competencyEffective January 1, 2021. The same two hours are required of dental hygienists under OAR 818-021-0070. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | OAR 818-021-0060(7) |
| Placement and restoration of dental implantsEffective January 1, 2024. The rule does not say whether these seven hours sit inside the 40 hour total or on top of it. The topic key restorative_dentistry is the closest existing key; the Board's own wording is placement and/or restoration of dental implants. | 7 contact hours | Every renewal | dentists who place dental implants | OAR 818-021-0060(8) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 4 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | The Board does not require a Board approved provider. Continuing education must relate to direct clinical patient care or the practice of dental public health, and correspondence, videotape or distance learning must carry a completion certificate naming the dentist, the course title, the completion date, the provider and the hours. Dentists must keep records of successful completion for at least four licensure years consistent with the licensure cycle and produce proof on request. The Board's continuing education page states it audits about 15 percent of licensees annually after the renewal period closes. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Oregon DDS/DMD need to renew?
- Oregon dentists must complete 40 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Oregon Board of Dentistry. A dentist owes 40 hours of continuing education every two years, related to direct clinical patient care or the practice of dental public health. That figure is set in OAR 818-021-0060(1) and is separate from the 24 hours OAR 818-021-0070 sets for a dental hygienist. No more than four hours of Practice Management and Patient Relations may be counted in a renewal period for a dentist, against two hours for a hygienist. The Board's continuing education page states that all licensees must maintain at least a current Healthcare Provider BLS or equivalent certification; that is a certification condition rather than a counted subject, and the rule does not list it among the continuing education categories. The rule states no cap on correspondence, video or distance learning, no carryover provision and no first renewal exemption.
- How often does a Oregon DDS/DMD license need to be renewed?
- Dentist licenses in Oregon renew every two years. A dentist renews every two years. The renewal fee and the completed online renewal application are due by March 31. Dentists licensed in odd numbered years apply for renewal in odd numbered years and dentists licensed in even numbered years apply for renewal in even numbered years. The Board mails a courtesy renewal notice before expiration, and a licensee who does not renew before the expiration date may not practice until the license is reinstated.
- What specific CE topics are required for Oregon dentists?
- Medical emergencies in a dental office: 3 contact hours every renewal cycle. Oregon specific pain management course from the Pain Management Commission of the Oregon Health Authority: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle. Infection control: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Cultural competency: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Placement and restoration of dental implants: 7 contact hours every renewal cycle (dentists who place dental implants). Citations: medical emergencies in a dental office (OAR 818-021-0060(4)), oregon specific pain management course from the Pain Management Commission of the Oregon Health Authority (OAR 818-021-0060(5)), infection control (OAR 818-021-0060(6)), cultural competency (OAR 818-021-0060(7)), and placement and restoration of dental implants (OAR 818-021-0060(8)).
- Do Oregon 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 4 years. The Board does not require a Board approved provider. Continuing education must relate to direct clinical patient care or the practice of dental public health, and correspondence, videotape or distance learning must carry a completion certificate naming the dentist, the course title, the completion date, the provider and the hours. Dentists must keep records of successful completion for at least four licensure years consistent with the licensure cycle and produce proof on request. The Board's continuing education page states it audits about 15 percent of licensees annually after the renewal period closes.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- OAR 818-021-0060, Continuing Education, Dentists (Oregon Secretary of State, Oregon Administrative Rules Database)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- OAR 818-021-0080, Renewal of License (Oregon Secretary of State, Oregon Administrative Rules Database)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Continuing Education Requirements, Oregon Board of DentistryState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Renewal, Oregon Board of DentistryState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
One board, the Oregon Board of Dentistry, licenses dentists, dental therapists and dental hygienists, but it writes a separate continuing education rule for each and gives them different renewal dates. The 40 hour dentist total and every dentist subject mandate were read in OAR 818-021-0060 on the Secretary of State's rules database; the hygienist rule 818-021-0070 was read separately and gives 24 hours and no pain management requirement. The March 31 dentist deadline and the September 30 dental hygienist deadline are both in OAR 818-021-0080. The Healthcare Provider BLS condition comes from the Board's continuing education page, not from the rule, and the rule does not treat it as a counted subject. Anesthesia and sedation permits are separate credentials with their own requirements and nothing from them is folded into the 40 hours. The rule states no carryover and no first renewal exemption, so those fields are null rather than false.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Oregon Board of Dentistry before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.