How many CE hours do dentists need?

It varies by state. Most states require dentists to complete somewhere between about 20 and 50 CE hours per renewal cycle (commonly two years), often including mandatory topics such as infection control, CPR/BLS, and the state dental practice act. Select your state above for the exact figure and confirm with the board.

Do dental assistants need continuing education?

It depends on the state and the assistant's credential. Some states require CE for registered dental assistants (RDAs), while others have no state CE requirement for assistants. Check your state's row for the specifics.

How often do dental CE requirements renew?

Most dental boards run a biennial (two-year) renewal cycle, though some use annual or triennial cycles. The renewal basis and any first-cycle exemptions are listed on each state's page.

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Continuing education

Dental CE requirements by state

CE hours, renewal cycles, and mandatory topics for dentists, hygienists, and assistants in all 51 jurisdictions. Open your state below, or count hours in the free CE tracker.

Open California CE Dentist CE Dental hygienist CE Dental assistant CE State dental boards License renewal License requirements Licensure exams Jurisprudence exams Mandatory CE topics Online CE CPR/BLS License lookup CE hours tracker

State	Dentist	Hygienist	Assistant
Alabama	20 hours / 1 year (annual)	12 hours / 1 year (annual)	No state CE requirement for dental assistants (CPR requir…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Alaska	32 contact hours / 2 years (biennial)	20 contact hours / 2 years (biennial)	No state CE requirement for dental assistants for renewal…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Arizona	63 hours / 3 years (triennial)	45 hours / 3 years (triennial)	No state CE requirement for standard dental assistants. E…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Arkansas	50 hours (CEUs) / 2 years (biennial)	40 hours (CEUs) / 2 years (biennial)	No general state CE requirement for dental assistants; ra…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
California	50 units / 2 years (biennial)	25 units / 2 years (biennial) [regulated by the Dental Hygiene Board of California]	RDA (Registered Dental Assistant): 25 units / 2 years. Fi…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Colorado	30 hours / 2 years	30 hours / 2 years	No standalone CE-hours requirement for Dental Assistants;…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Connecticut	25 contact hours / 2 years	16 contact hours / 2 years	No general CE-hours requirement (CT does not license dent…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Delaware	50 hours / 2 years	24 hours / 2 years	Registered dental assistants (and limited registered dent…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
District of Columbia	30 hours / 2 years	Reported as 15 hours / 2 years by DC Dental Society summary; some CE-vendor sources state 20 hours / 2 years — value not confirmed against the official DCMR, treat as unconfirmed	Dental assistants: ~10 hours / 2 years per DC Dental Soci…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Florida	30 hours / 2 years (biennium)	24 hours / 2 years (biennium)	No CE requirement — Florida does not license or register …	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Georgia	40 hours / 2 years (biennium; licenses expire Dec 31 of odd years)	22 hours / 2 years	No state CE requirement (dental assistants/EDDAs are not …	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Hawaii	32 hours / 2 years (biennium; renewal by Dec 31 of odd years)	20 hours / 2 years	No state CE requirement (Hawaii does not separately licen…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Idaho	30 hours / 2 years (biennium)	30 hours / 2 years (biennium)	No state CE requirement in the board rule (dental assista…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Illinois	48 hours / 3 years (triennial licensing period)	36 hours / 3 years (triennial licensing period)	No state CE requirement (Illinois dental assistants are n…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Indiana	20 hours / 2 years (biennium; licenses expire March 1 of even-numbered years)	19 hours / 2 years (biennium; expires March 1 of even-numbered years)	No state CE requirement (Indiana dental assistants are no…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Iowa	30 hours / 2 years	30 hours / 2 years	20 hours / 2 years (Registered Dental Assistants)	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Kansas	60 hours / 2 years	30 hours / 2 years	No state CE requirement (Kansas Dental Board does not lic…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Kentucky	30 hours / 2 years	30 hours / 2 years	No state CE requirement (Kentucky Board of Dentistry does…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Louisiana	30 hours / 2 years	20 hours / 2 years	No state CE requirement (Expanded Duty Dental Assistants …	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Maine	40 hours / 2 years	30 hours / 2 years	Expanded Function Dental Assistant (EFDA): 50 hours / 5 y…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Maryland	30 hours / 2 years	30 hours / 2 years	No general dental-assistant CE license. Maryland instead …	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Massachusetts	40 CEUs / 2 years	20 CEUs / 2 years	12 CEUs / 2 years (licensed dental assistants). Individua…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Michigan	60 hours / 3 years	36 hours / 3 years	Registered Dental Assistants (RDA): 36 hours / 3 years, s…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Minnesota	50 hours / 2 years	25 hours / 2 years	Licensed Dental Assistants: 25 hours / 2 years (min 15 fu…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Mississippi	40 hours / 2 years	20 hours / 2 years	No CE requirement — Board Regulation 41 (Continuing Educa…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Missouri	50 hours / 2 years	30 hours / 2 years	No CE requirement for basic dental assistants. Expanded F…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Montana	60 hours / 3 years	36 hours / 3 years	No state CE requirement for dental assistants (ARM 24.138…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Nebraska	30 hours / 2 years	30 hours / 2 years	No state CE requirement for dental assistants (172 NAC ch…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Nevada	40 hours / 2 years (20 hrs annually)	30 hours / 2 years (15 hrs annually)	No CE for basic dental assistants. Expanded Function Dent…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
New Hampshire	40 hours (CEUs) / 2 years	20 hours (CEUs) / 2 years	No CE requirement in the state CE rule (Den 403.03) for d…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
New Jersey	40 hours / 2 years (biennial)	20 hours / 2 years (biennial)	10 hours / 2 years (biennial) — Registered Dental Assista…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
New Mexico	60 hours / 3 years (triennial)	45 hours / 3 years (triennial)	30 hours / 3 years (triennial)	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
New York	60 contact hours / 3 years (triennial registration)	24 contact hours / 3 years (triennial registration)	No state CE requirement — NY does not license/register 'd…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
North Carolina	15 hours / year (annual; ~30 per 2 years)	6 hours / year (annual; ~12 per 2 years)	No general CE requirement for basic dental assistants; DA…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
North Dakota	32 hours / 2 years (biennial)	16 hours / 2 years (biennial)	16 hours / 2 years (biennial) — Registered/Qualified Dent…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Ohio	30 hours / 2 years (biennial)	20 hours / 2 years (biennial)	Dental X-ray Machine Operator (formerly Dental Assistant …	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Oklahoma	40 hours / 2 years (reporting period, currently Jul 1, 2025 – Jun 30, 2027)	20 hours / 2 years (same reporting period)	Dental assistants: 2 hours / 2 years in infection control.	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Oregon	40 hours / 2 years	24 hours / 2 years (Expanded Practice Dental Hygienist / EPDH: 36 hours / 2 years)	No state CE hour requirement for dental assistants (certi…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Pennsylvania	30 hours / 2 years (biennial)	20 hours / 2 years (Public Health Dental Hygiene Practitioner also 20 hrs, of which 5 must be public-health related)	Expanded Function Dental Assistants (EFDAs): 10 hours / 2…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Rhode Island	40 hours / 2 years	20 hours / 2 years	No specific CE hour total for dental assistants, but all …	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
South Carolina	28 hours / 2 years (14 hours/year)	14 hours / 2 years (7 hours/year)	No registered 'dental assistant' CE requirement. SC regis…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
South Dakota	100 hours / 5 years (minimum 50 hours must be 'academic'; anesthesia/sedation permit holders need an additional 25 hours in anesthesia topics per cycle)	75 hours / 5 years (minimum 5 hours in dental radiography per 5-year period)	Registered Dental Assistants (RDAs): 60 hours / 5 years (…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Tennessee	40 hours / 2 years	30 hours / 2 years	Registered Dental Assistants: 24 hours / 2 years (at leas…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Texas	24 hours / 2 years	24 hours / 2 years	Registered Dental Assistants (RDAs): 12 hours / 2 years, …	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Utah	30 hours / 2 years	30 hours / 2 years	N/A - Utah does not license or register dental assistants…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Vermont	30 hours / 2 years	18 hours / 2 years	No state CE requirement (dental assistants register but b…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Virginia	15 hours / 1 year (annual)	15 hours / 1 year (annual)	No CE hour count set by the board for Dental Assistant II…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Washington	63 hours / 3 years	15 hours / 1 year (annual)	Registered Dental Assistant: no CE requirement. (EFDA — E…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
West Virginia	35 hours / 2 years	20 hours / 2 years	No specific CE hour count published for dental assistants…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Wisconsin	30 credit hours / 2 years	12 credit hours / 2 years	Dental assistants are not licensed/regulated by the state…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant
Wyoming	16 hours / 2 years (biennial)	16 hours / 2 years (biennial)	No CE hour requirement stated for dental assistant permit…	Details →Renewal CE →CPR/BLS → Dentist Hygienist Assistant

Frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do dentists need?: It varies by state. Most states require dentists to complete somewhere between about 20 and 50 CE hours per renewal cycle (commonly two years), often including mandatory topics such as infection control, CPR/BLS, and the state dental practice act. Select your state above for the exact figure and confirm with the board.
Do dental assistants need continuing education?: It depends on the state and the assistant's credential. Some states require CE for registered dental assistants (RDAs), while others have no state CE requirement for assistants. Check your state's row for the specifics.
How often do dental CE requirements renew?: Most dental boards run a biennial (two-year) renewal cycle, though some use annual or triennial cycles. The renewal basis and any first-cycle exemptions are listed on each state's page.

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