Wyoming Dentist license renewal and CE requirements
Wyoming dentists must complete 16 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Wyoming Board of Dental Examiners.
With the practice act changes effective in 2021, licenses are renewed every two years instead of annually. Renewals for dentists and hygienists are accepted from October 1 through December 31 of the renewal year, which falls in odd numbered years. A licensee who does not renew by December 31 may renew during an administrative grace period from January 1 through March 31 but may not practice until the renewal is received; after March 31 a restoration or relicensure application is required instead.
Summary
Wyoming dentists must complete 16 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Wyoming Board of Dental Examiners. With the practice act changes effective in 2021, licenses are renewed every two years instead of annually. Renewals for dentists and hygienists are accepted from October 1 through December 31 of the renewal year, which falls in odd numbered years. A licensee who does not renew by December 31 may renew during an administrative grace period from January 1 through March 31 but may not practice until the renewal is received; after March 31 a restoration or relicensure application is required instead. Wyoming also mandates specific subjects. Responsible prescribing of controlled substances: 3 contact hours every renewal cycle (dentists only). Hours do not carry over between cycles.
Wyoming 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, 12/31 each cycleFirst renewal is prorated. |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 16 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | No |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
Sixteen hours are due every two years. The Board states the same 16 hour total for dentists and dental hygienists; the only difference between the two is the dentist controlled substance mandate. Continuing education periods run January 1 of an even numbered year through December 31 of the following odd numbered year, and the current period is January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027. Hours may be earned at any point in the two years. Courses must be clinical in nature; the Board lists oral surgery, operative dentistry, oral pathology, preventive dentistry, orthodontics, clinical patient management, pediatric dentistry, oral biology, periodontics, prosthodontics, dental materials, implantology, radiology, infection control, endodontics, management of medical emergencies, dental anesthesiology, professional ethics and pharmacology as acceptable subjects, and will not accept practice building or business management courses. Continuing education may be taken in person or online with no limit on online hours. Extra hours cannot be applied to the next period. The required BLS is in addition to the 16 hours and BLS hours cannot count toward them. New licensees are prorated rather than exempted in the general case: a dentist licensed in an even numbered year submits 8 hours at the next renewal and those 8 hours must include the 3 hours on responsible prescribing of controlled substances, while a dentist licensed in the odd numbered renewal year owes no continuing education at that renewal. The Board may approve a continuing education waiver in limited circumstances where a licensee can demonstrate extenuating circumstances.
Required CE topics for Wyoming dentists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Responsible prescribing of controlled substancesThree of the 16 hours, so it counts toward the total. The Board states this comes from the legislature and that the Board cannot waive or alter it, and that a dentist first licensed in an even numbered year must include the 3 hours within the prorated 8 hour first requirement. Dental hygienists have no comparable mandate. The Board's page does not give a statute or rule citation for it. | 3 contact hours | Every renewal | dentists only | Not stated |
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 pre-approve or pre-review continuing education, and licensees are responsible for ensuring the courses they complete meet the requirements in Chapter 3 of the Board's Rules. At renewal a licensee only attests to completion; evidence is not required unless the licensee is randomly selected for audit. Those selected must keep continuing education records for at least four years after the renewal period in which the course was submitted and provide them within 30 days of the audit notice. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Wyoming DDS/DMD need to renew?
- Wyoming dentists must complete 16 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Wyoming Board of Dental Examiners. Sixteen hours are due every two years. The Board states the same 16 hour total for dentists and dental hygienists; the only difference between the two is the dentist controlled substance mandate. Continuing education periods run January 1 of an even numbered year through December 31 of the following odd numbered year, and the current period is January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027. Hours may be earned at any point in the two years. Courses must be clinical in nature; the Board lists oral surgery, operative dentistry, oral pathology, preventive dentistry, orthodontics, clinical patient management, pediatric dentistry, oral biology, periodontics, prosthodontics, dental materials, implantology, radiology, infection control, endodontics, management of medical emergencies, dental anesthesiology, professional ethics and pharmacology as acceptable subjects, and will not accept practice building or business management courses. Continuing education may be taken in person or online with no limit on online hours. Extra hours cannot be applied to the next period. The required BLS is in addition to the 16 hours and BLS hours cannot count toward them. New licensees are prorated rather than exempted in the general case: a dentist licensed in an even numbered year submits 8 hours at the next renewal and those 8 hours must include the 3 hours on responsible prescribing of controlled substances, while a dentist licensed in the odd numbered renewal year owes no continuing education at that renewal. The Board may approve a continuing education waiver in limited circumstances where a licensee can demonstrate extenuating circumstances.
- How often does a Wyoming DDS/DMD license need to be renewed?
- Dentist licenses in Wyoming renew every two years. With the practice act changes effective in 2021, licenses are renewed every two years instead of annually. Renewals for dentists and hygienists are accepted from October 1 through December 31 of the renewal year, which falls in odd numbered years. A licensee who does not renew by December 31 may renew during an administrative grace period from January 1 through March 31 but may not practice until the renewal is received; after March 31 a restoration or relicensure application is required instead.
- What specific CE topics are required for Wyoming dentists?
- Responsible prescribing of controlled substances: 3 contact hours every renewal cycle (dentists only).
- Do Wyoming 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 pre-approve or pre-review continuing education, and licensees are responsible for ensuring the courses they complete meet the requirements in Chapter 3 of the Board's Rules. At renewal a licensee only attests to completion; evidence is not required unless the licensee is randomly selected for audit. Those selected must keep continuing education records for at least four years after the renewal period in which the course was submitted and provide them within 30 days of the audit notice.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Continuing Education, Wyoming Board of Dental ExaminersState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Renewal and Relicensure, Wyoming Board of Dental ExaminersState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Wyoming Board of Dental ExaminersState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
One board covers both credentials in Wyoming and its continuing education page is written for both at once, stating explicitly that both dentists and dental hygienists must obtain and submit continuing education and that the total is 16 hours every two years for each. This is a genuine single figure rather than a hygienist number inferred from a dentist number, and the page marks the one place they diverge, the 3 hour controlled substance requirement, as applying if you are a dentist. The two year cycle for the license itself was confirmed by the sentence that with the practice act changes effective in 2021 licenses are now renewed every two years instead of annually, and by the renewals page showing an October 1 to December 31 window and a hygienist restoration that runs a license through December 31, 2027. Carryover is recorded as false because the Board states that extra hours cannot be used toward the next continuing education period. exempt_first_renewal is left null because the Board describes two different outcomes for new licensees depending on whether the license was issued in an even or an odd numbered year, and first_renewal_prorated captures that better. The Board's rules, including Chapter 3, are hosted as documents rather than HTML and were not opened; every value here comes from the Board's own web pages, so no statutory citation is recorded for the controlled substance mandate.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Wyoming Board of Dental Examiners before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.