Dentist CE requirements by state
How dentists renew in each state: cycle, deadline basis, continuing education hours, and mandated topics. 39 of 51 jurisdictions verified so far; the rest are coming soon and are not estimated.
Jump to a state for dentists
Verified states
| State | Renewal | Deadline | CE per cycle | Mandated topics | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Annual | Same date for every licensee | 20 contact hours | Infectious Disease Control (related to the practice of dentistry or to the dental office); Prescribing Controlled Substances; Ethical considerations in the practice of dentistry; CPR (Basic or Advanced Support) | September 8, 2026 |
| Alaska | Two-year | Same date for every licensee | 32 contact hours | Pain management and opioid use and addiction; Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification | September 8, 2026 |
| Arkansas | Two-year | Same date for every licensee | 50 CEUs (50 contact hours) | Infection control; Healthcare provider level cardiopulmonary resuscitation | September 8, 2026 |
| California | Two-year | Tied to the licensee's birth month | 50 contact hours | Board-approved Infection Control course; Board-approved course on the California Dental Practice Act; Responsibilities and Requirements of Prescribing Schedule II Opioid Drugs; Basic Life Support (BLS) | September 8, 2026 |
| Colorado | Two-year | Same date for every licensee | 30 contact hours | Infection control education covering the CDC guidelines listed in board rule; OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Training; Opioid and substance use prevention training; Basic Life Support for healthcare providers | September 8, 2026 |
| Connecticut | Annual | Tied to the licensee's birth month | 25 contact hours every two years | Infection control in a dental setting; Prescribing controlled substances and pain management; Any three of the ten mandatory topics prescribed by the Commissioner of Public Health; Medical emergencies in the dental office, including current training in CPR | September 8, 2026 |
| Delaware | Two-year | Same date for every licensee | 50 contact hours | Infection control; Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) | September 8, 2026 |
| Florida | Two-year | Same date for every licensee | 30 contact hours | Medical Error; Safe and Effective Prescribing of Controlled Substances; Domestic Violence; HIV/AIDS; Current CPR Certification | September 8, 2026 |
| Georgia | Two-year | Same date for every licensee | 40 contact hours | Infection control in the practice of dentistry, including dental unit water lines; Impact of opioid abuse, proper prescription writing, or the use of opioids in dental practice; Legal ethics and professionalism in the practice of dentistry; In-person CPR, Basic Life Support or Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support course | September 8, 2026 |
| Illinois | Three-year | Same date for every licensee | 48 contact hours | Sexual harassment prevention training; Implicit bias awareness training; Cultural competency training; Mandated reporter training (Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act) | September 8, 2026 |
| Indiana | Two-year | Same date for every licensee | 20 contact hours | Ethics, professional responsibility, and Indiana statutes and administrative rules governing the licensure and practice of dentists and dental hygienists | September 8, 2026 |
| Iowa | Two-year | Same date for every licensee | 30 contact hours | Infection control; Iowa jurisprudence related to the practice of dentistry, dental hygiene and dental assisting; Opioids; Mandatory reporter training, child abuse and dependent adult abuse; Cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification | September 8, 2026 |
| Kansas | Two-year | Same date for every licensee | 60 contact hours | Ethics; Basic cardiac life support for the health care provider certificate | September 8, 2026 |
| Kentucky | Two-year | Same date for every licensee | 30 contact hours | Kentucky All Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting System (KASPER), pain management, or addiction disorders; Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma (PAHT) or Child Abuse and Neglect (CAN); Recognition and prevention of pediatric ingestion or inhalation of controlled substances; Active CPR certification meeting or exceeding the American Heart Association Guidelines for CPR and ECC | September 8, 2026 |
| Maryland | Two-year | Same date for every licensee | 30 contact hours | Board-approved course in infection control; Board-approved course in abuse and neglect relating to Maryland law; Board-approved course on proper prescribing and disposal of prescription drugs; Implicit bias and structural racism training program; Cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification | September 8, 2026 |
| Massachusetts | Two-year | Same date for every licensee | 40 CEUs | CDC Guidelines for infection control in the dental health-care setting; Continuous certification in CPR/AED or BLS; Safe and effective opioid prescribing and pain management training | September 8, 2026 |
| Michigan | Three-year | Tied to the original issue date | 60 contact hours | Pain and symptom management; Dental ethics and jurisprudence, including delegation of duties to allied dental personnel; Infection control, including sterilization of hand pieces, personal protective equipment and the CDC infection control guidelines; Implicit bias training; Training in identifying victims of human trafficking; Current BLS or ACLS certification for healthcare providers with a hands-on component | September 8, 2026 |
| Minnesota | Two-year | Tied to the licensee's birth month | 50 contact hours | Infection control course | September 8, 2026 |
| Mississippi | Two-year | Same date for every licensee | 40 contact hours | Continuing dental education regarding the prescribing of opioids; Cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification | September 8, 2026 |
| Missouri | Two-year | Same date for every licensee | 50 contact hours | None listed | September 8, 2026 |
| Nebraska | Two-year | Same date for every licensee | 30 contact hours | Infection control continuing education; Prescribing opiates and the prescription drug monitoring program; Anesthesia or sedation administration and management for the dental office | September 8, 2026 |
| Nevada | Two-year | Same date for every licensee | 40 contact hours | Infection control, in accordance with the CDC guidelines adopted by reference in NAC 631.178; Misuse and abuse of controlled substances, prescribing of opioids, or addiction; Medical consequences of an act of terrorism involving a weapon of mass destruction; Screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment approach to substance use disorder | September 8, 2026 |
| New Hampshire | Two-year | Tied to the original issue date | 40 CEUs (40 contact hours) | Infection control; Medical Emergency Training; BLS-HCP course with a hands-on component; Pain management, addiction disorder, or both | September 8, 2026 |
| New Mexico | Three-year | Same date for every licensee | 60 contact hours | Basic life support (BLS) or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR); Infection control techniques and sterilization procedures; Management of pain with controlled substances | September 8, 2026 |
| New York | Three-year | Tied to the licensee's birth month | 60 contact hours | Infection control and barrier precautions training; Identification and reporting of child abuse and maltreatment; Cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification; New York State dental jurisprudence and ethics; Oral health effects of tobacco and tobacco products; Pain management, palliative care and addiction | September 8, 2026 |
| North Carolina | Annual | Same date for every licensee | 15 clock hours | Controlled substance prescribing practices; Professionalism and ethics course; Continuing education on mental health | September 8, 2026 |
| North Dakota | Two-year | Same date for every licensee | 32 contact hours | Ethics or jurisprudence; Infection control; Cardiopulmonary resuscitation course; Sedation or anesthesia, plus anesthesia emergencies | September 8, 2026 |
| Ohio | Two-year | Tied to the original issue date | 30 contact hours | None listed | September 8, 2026 |
| Oklahoma | Annual | Same date for every licensee | 40 contact hours every two years | Opioid and scheduled drug prescribing classes; Ethics class approved by the Board; Live, in-person cardiopulmonary resuscitation class approved by the Board | September 8, 2026 |
| Oregon | Two-year | Same date for every licensee | 40 contact hours | Medical emergencies in a dental office; Oregon specific pain management course from the Pain Management Commission of the Oregon Health Authority; Infection control; Cultural competency; Placement and restoration of dental implants | September 8, 2026 |
| Pennsylvania | Two-year | Same date for every licensee | 30 contact hours | Child abuse recognition and reporting | September 8, 2026 |
| Rhode Island | Two-year | Same date for every licensee | 40 contact hours | Training on the CDC Infection Control Guidelines; Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers with a hands-on skill component | September 8, 2026 |
| Texas | Two-year | Tied to the licensee's birth month | 24 contact hours | Human trafficking prevention course approved by the executive commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission; TSBDE Jurisprudence Assessment; Safe and effective pain management related to the prescription of opioids and other controlled substances | September 8, 2026 |
| Utah | Two-year | Same date for every licensee | 30 contact hours | None listed | September 8, 2026 |
| Vermont | Two-year | Board-specific schedule | 30 contact hours | Emergency office procedures course | September 8, 2026 |
| Virginia | Annual | Tied to the licensee's birth month | 15 contact hours | Continuing education on pain management for prescribers; Administration and monitoring of general anesthesia, deep sedation or moderate sedation | September 8, 2026 |
| Washington | Annual | Tied to the licensee's birth date | 63 contact hours every three years | Commission approved dental jurisprudence examination; Commission approved health equity training; Suicide assessment, treatment and management training; Health care provider basic life support (BLS) | September 8, 2026 |
| Wisconsin | Two-year | Same date for every licensee | 30 credit hours | Prescribing of controlled substances for the treatment of dental pain | September 8, 2026 |
| Wyoming | Two-year | Same date for every licensee | 16 contact hours | Responsible prescribing of controlled substances | September 8, 2026 |
Coming soon
12 jurisdictions are coming soon for dentists.
- Arizona
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Montana
- New Jersey
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- West Virginia