State license renewal
Dental CE Requirements by State
Continuing education hours, renewal cycles and state-mandated topics for dental license renewal, each taken from the state board's own website and linked to the exact wording. Free courses that a board's rule accepts are listed on each state's page.
Compare states
Dental CE hours by state
| State | CE hours | CE period | Mandated topics | Free courses that count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CaliforniaDentist (DDS/DMD) | 50 | Every 2 years | — | 289 |
| ColoradoDentist (DDS/DMD) | 30 | Every 2 years | Clinical or science-based CE | 289 |
| ConnecticutDentist (DDS/DMD) | 25 | Every 2 years | — | 289 |
| DelawareDentist (DDS/DMD) | 50 | Every 2 years | Infection control | 289 |
| GeorgiaDentist (DDS/DMD) | 40 | Every 2 years | Clinical science | — |
| IdahoDentist (DDS/DMD) | 30 | Every 2 years | — | — |
| IndianaDentist (DDS/DMD) | 20 | Every 2 years | Indiana ethics and jurisprudence | 289 |
| IowaDentist (DDS/DMD) | 30 | Every 2 years | Infection control standards; Iowa jurisprudence | 289 |
| KansasDentist (DDS/DMD) | 60 | Every 2 years | Ethics | 289 |
| KentuckyDentist (DDS/DMD) | 30 | Every 2 years | Live interactive presentation format | — |
| MarylandDentist (DDS/DMD) | 30 | Every 2 years | Proper prescribing and disposal of prescription drugs (dentists); Abuse and neglect | — |
| MassachusettsDentist (DDS/DMD) | 40 | Every 2 years | — | — |
| MichiganDentist (DDS/DMD) | 60 | Every 3 years | Pain and symptom management | — |
| MinnesotaDentist (DDS/DMD) | 50 | Every 2 years | — | — |
| MississippiDentist (DDS/DMD) | 40 | Every 2 years | — | — |
| MissouriDentist (DDS/DMD) | 50 | Every 2 years | — | 289 |
| NebraskaDentist (DDS/DMD) | 30 | Every 2 years | — | — |
| NevadaDentist (DDS/DMD) | Competency options | — | — | 289 |
| New MexicoDentist (DDS/DMD) | 60 | Every 3 years | — | — |
| New YorkDentist (DDS/DMD) | 60 | Every 3 years | — | 289 |
| OhioDentist (DDS/DMD) | 30 | Every 2 years | — | — |
| PennsylvaniaDentist (DDS/DMD) | 30 | Every 2 years | Child abuse recognition and reporting | 289 |
| Rhode IslandDentist (DDS/DMD) | 40 | Every 2 years | — | — |
| South CarolinaDentist (DDS/DMD) | 28 | Every 2 years | Sterilization and infection control | 289 |
| TennesseeDentist (DDS/DMD) | 40 | Every 2 years | Prescribing of controlled substances | 289 |
| TexasDentist (DDS/DMD) | 24 | Every 2 years | Safe and effective pain management related to opioids and controlled substances | 289 |
| UtahDentist (DDS/DMD) | 30 | Every 2 years | — | — |
| VirginiaDentist (DDS/DMD) | 15 | Every year | — | 289 |
| WashingtonDentist (DDS/DMD) | 63 | Every 3 years | Suicide prevention training (one-time) | — |
| WisconsinDentist (DDS/DMD) | 30 | Every 2 years | Clinical dentistry or clinical medicine; Responsible prescribing of controlled substances for acute dental pain | — |
| WyomingDentist (DDS/DMD) | 16 | Every 2 years | — | — |
Not yet covered: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia. We publish a state only when its board or state law states the rule on an official page we can cite; third-party summaries are not used.
Hours are per renewal and in the unit each board uses (contact hours unless noted). A dash under free courses means the board's rule does not name an accreditor we track, not that no free course would count.
Questions
Dental CE requirements, answered
Which states do not require continuing education for dentists?
Every state we checked requires continuing education or a continuing competency option.
What is a common two-year CE requirement for dentists?
30 hours is the most common total among the verified two-year CE periods in this guide (10 states). Hours, cycles and accepted units differ, so use your own state's page.
Which state CE topic requirements are verified here for dentists?
Selected topic requirements are verified for 15 of the 31 states and jurisdictions covered: Colorado (Clinical or science-based CE); Delaware (Infection control); Georgia (Clinical science); Indiana (Indiana ethics and jurisprudence); Iowa (Infection control standards, Iowa jurisprudence); Kansas (Ethics); Kentucky (Live interactive presentation format); Maryland (Proper prescribing and disposal of prescription drugs (dentists), Abuse and neglect); Michigan (Pain and symptom management); Pennsylvania (Child abuse recognition and reporting); South Carolina (Sterilization and infection control); Tennessee (Prescribing of controlled substances); Texas (Safe and effective pain management related to opioids and controlled substances); Washington (Suicide prevention training (one-time)); Wisconsin (Clinical dentistry or clinical medicine, Responsible prescribing of controlled substances for acute dental pain). Consult each board for its complete requirements.