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Tennessee dental license verification Covers: Choose the dental profession and individual credential.Tennessee Board of Dentistry
Tennessee Dental CE Requirements
Tennessee dentists need 40 hours of continuing education every 2 years. 1 state-mandated topic may apply, depending on the license and practice.
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At a glance
Tennessee dental license renewal
| Licenses covered | Dentist (DDS/DMD) [1] |
|---|---|
| CE required for renewal | Yes [1] |
| Hours per CE period | 40 hours [1] |
| CE period | Every 2 years [1] |
| Renewal and reporting | During each two-calendar-year cycle (January 1 of an odd year through December 31 of an even year), dentists must complete 40 hours, dental hygienists 30 hours, and registered dental assistants 24 hours of continuing education. [1] |
| State-mandated topics | Prescribing of controlled substances [1] |
| What CE counts | Courses sponsored or approved by the Academy of General Dentistry (or a state affiliate) and the American Dental Association are accepted. [1] |
This summary covers the licenses listed above. The topics below are selected verified requirements; consult the board’s full rules for all subjects and conditions.
State-mandated topics
- Prescribing of controlled substances — 2 hours [1]
Dentists must obtain a minimum of 2 of the required 40 biennial hours in prescribing of controlled substances education (including instruction in the TN Chronic Pain Guidelines).
Good to know
- Dental hygienists must complete 30 hours and registered dental assistants 24 hours of continuing education per two-year cycle, including at least 2 hours in chemical dependency education. [1]
Rules change, and your own license record decides your deadline. Confirm with the Tennessee Board of Dentistry ↗ before you renew.
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Tennessee dental license applications and renewal Covers: Licensee account required; choose the relevant dental credential.Renewal at a glance
| Credential | Dentist, dental hygienist |
|---|---|
| Renewal cycle | Expiration years follow birth-year parity: even birth years renew in even years and odd birth years in odd years. [source] |
| Verified fees | A current fee has not been confirmed in this guide. Check the board’s fee schedule before paying. |
| Renewal application | Tennessee dental license applications and renewal |
Fees can differ for active, inactive, late, and reinstatement applications. Your official license record controls your deadline.
Source review dates · 1 source
Dates show when we retrieved the source pages. They do not certify a person’s license, guarantee a portal is online, or establish that every renewal rule was reviewed.
- Tennessee Department of Health Board of Dentistry Retrieved Oct 13, 2026
Free courses that count toward the hours
Free CE accepted in Tennessee
The board accepts continuing education accredited by AGD PACE [1]. These current free courses state that accreditation. State-mandated topics can require a specific approved course, so check those separately.
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Your next credential
Free exam preparation for dental professionals
Explore Tennessee and national exam practice for your profession on OpenExamPrep.
OpenExamPrepFree exam preparationThese are exam-preparation resources, separate from continuing education credit. Exam registration fees and eligibility are set by the exam sponsor.
Questions
Tennessee dental CE, answered
How many CE hours do Tennessee dentists need?
Tennessee dentists need 40 hours of continuing education every 2 years. 1 state-mandated topic may apply, depending on the license and practice. During each two-calendar-year cycle (January 1 of an odd year through December 31 of an even year), dentists must complete 40 hours, dental hygienists 30 hours, and registered dental assistants 24 hours of continuing education.
Does Tennessee require specific CE topics for dentists?
Prescribing of controlled substances (2 hours): Dentists must obtain a minimum of 2 of the required 40 biennial hours in prescribing of controlled substances education (including instruction in the TN Chronic Pain Guidelines).
Do free online CE courses count in Tennessee?
Courses sponsored or approved by the Academy of General Dentistry (or a state affiliate) and the American Dental Association are accepted. Free courses accredited by AGD PACE are listed on this page; a state-mandated topic may need a specific approved course.
Sources & verification
Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. We fetched each page on the date shown and confirmed the exact wording below appears on it.
- Tennessee Department of Health Board of Dentistry ↗www.tn.gov · HTML · Retrieved Oct 28, 2026
Quoted wording (8)
“refer to the Policies tab located on the left. Dentists are all required to fulfill 40 hours of continuing education during the two calendar year cycle (January 1 of an odd year - December 31 of an even year) and keep a current C.P.R. card at all times. A minimum of 2 of the required 40 biennial hours must be obtained in the area of prescribing of controlled substances”
“refer to the Policies tab located on the left. Dentists are all required to fulfill 40 hours of continuing education during the two calendar year cycle (January 1 of an odd year - December 31 of an even year) and keep a current C.P.R. card at all times. A minimum of 2 of the required 40 biennial hours must be obtained in the area of prescribing of controlled substances”
“refer to the Policies tab located on the left. Dentists are all required to fulfill 40 hours of continuing education during the two calendar year cycle (January 1 of an odd year - December 31 of an even year) and keep a current C.P.R. card at all times. A minimum of 2 of the required 40 biennial hours must be obtained in the area of prescribing of controlled substances”
“refer to the Policies tab located on the left. Dentists are all required to fulfill 40 hours of continuing education during the two calendar year cycle (January 1 of an odd year - December 31 of an even year) and keep a current C.P.R. card at all times. A minimum of 2 of the required 40 biennial hours must be obtained in the area of prescribing of controlled substances”
“refer to the Policies tab located on the left. Dentists are all required to fulfill 40 hours of continuing education during the two calendar year cycle (January 1 of an odd year - December 31 of an even year) and keep a current C.P.R. card at all times. A minimum of 2 of the required 40 biennial hours must be obtained in the area of prescribing of controlled substances”
“Association or its constituent or component societies.Academy of General Dentistry or a state affiliate.American Dental Hygienists’ Association or its constituent or component societies.Any national, regional or state academy or association of any of the recognized”
“and keep a current C.P.R. card at all times. A minimum of 2 of the required 40 biennial hours must be obtained in the area of prescribing of controlled substances education which includes instruction in the TN Chronic Pain Guidelines. Dentists who hold a Limited Conscious Sedation, Comprehensive Conscious Sedation or Deep Sedation/General”
“(PALS can be substituted if a pediatric dentist). Dental hygienists are all required to fulfill 30 hours of continuing education during the two calendar year cycle (January 1 of an odd year - December 31 of an even year) and keep a current C.P.R. card at all times. A minimum of 2 of the required 30 biennial hours must be obtained”