# Pennsylvania dental assistant CE requirements

> Role-specific continuing education summary for dental assistants renewing in Pennsylvania.

URL: https://dentovio.com/ce-requirements/pennsylvania/dental-assistant

Last verified: 2026-07-08

Research confidence: high

Educational summary only, not compliance advice. CE hour counts, approved-provider rules, audit rules, and mandatory topics can change. Confirm current instructions with the Pennsylvania dental board before filing a renewal.

## Direct answer

Dental assistants in Pennsylvania: Expanded Function Dental Assistants (EFDAs): 10 hours / 2 years (of which 3 hours must be in coronal polishing, with limited exemptions). Non-EFDA dental assistants are not separately licensed and have no state CE requirement.. Renewal-cycle notes: Biennial cycle renewing Apr 1 of every odd-numbered year (State Board of Dentistry). MANDATORY for dentists, hygienists, and EFDAs: 2 hours of approved child abuse recognition and reporting in the 2-year period preceding renewal (Act 31), and current CPR certification as a condition of renewal. Prescribers of opioids/controlled substances must complete 2 hours of approved education in pain management, identification of addiction, or safe prescribing (Act 124) — required of DEA-registered dentists. Hygienists with a local-anesthesia permit: 3 of the 20 hours in local anesthesia administration. LIVE-vs-SELF-STUDY caps: individual/self-study capped at half the total — dentists max 15 hrs, hygienists max 10 hrs, EFDAs max 5 hrs. NOTE: the PA 'Dental Renewal Guide' PDF returned conflicting figures (30 hrs hygienist / 18 hrs EFDA); the binding regulation 49 Pa. Code §33.402 governs and states 20 (hygienist) and 10 (EFDA). Confirm current role-specific requirements with the Pennsylvania dental board before renewing.

## Renewal cycle and mandatory topics

Biennial cycle renewing Apr 1 of every odd-numbered year (State Board of Dentistry). MANDATORY for dentists, hygienists, and EFDAs: 2 hours of approved child abuse recognition and reporting in the 2-year period preceding renewal (Act 31), and current CPR certification as a condition of renewal. Prescribers of opioids/controlled substances must complete 2 hours of approved education in pain management, identification of addiction, or safe prescribing (Act 124) — required of DEA-registered dentists. Hygienists with a local-anesthesia permit: 3 of the 20 hours in local anesthesia administration. LIVE-vs-SELF-STUDY caps: individual/self-study capped at half the total — dentists max 15 hrs, hygienists max 10 hrs, EFDAs max 5 hrs. NOTE: the PA 'Dental Renewal Guide' PDF returned conflicting figures (30 hrs hygienist / 18 hrs EFDA); the binding regulation 49 Pa. Code §33.402 governs and states 20 (hygienist) and 10 (EFDA).

## Official board source

- <https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?file=/secure/pacode/data/049/chapter33/subchapFtoc.html&d=reduce>

## References

- <https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?file=%2Fsecure%2Fpacode%2Fdata%2F049%2Fchapter33%2Fs33.402.html&d=reduce>
- <https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/pennsylvania/49-Pa-Code-SS-33-402>
- <https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/dos/department-and-offices/bpoa/dental/Dental-Renewal-Guide.pdf>

## Related

- [Dental Assistant CE Requirements by State](https://dentovio.com/dental-assistant-ce-requirements/index.html.md)
- [Pennsylvania dental CE requirements](https://dentovio.com/ce-requirements/pennsylvania/index.html.md)
- [Pennsylvania online dental CE](https://dentovio.com/online-dental-ce/pennsylvania/index.html.md)
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