# Rhode Island dental assistant CE requirements

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

URL: https://dentovio.com/ce-requirements/rhode-island/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 Rhode Island dental board before filing a renewal.

## Direct answer

Dental assistants in Rhode Island: No specific CE hour total for dental assistants, but all dental assistants practicing in a dental setting must maintain: current hands-on BLS certification and at least 1 hour/year of CDC Infection Control Guidelines training. N/A for a numeric CE total.. Renewal-cycle notes: 2-year cycle; licenses expire June 30 of even-numbered years, renewal due by May 1 of even-numbered years. MANDATORY: minimum of 1 hour PER YEAR (i.e., part of each cycle) of training on the CDC Infection Control Guidelines for all dentists, hygienists, and assistants; current Basic Life Support (BLS/BCLS) Healthcare-Provider certificate with a hands-on component per American Heart Association guidelines; annual OSHA training for those in a dental setting. Controlled-substance (21 CFR) and OSHA (29 CFR 1910) standards are incorporated by reference but no separate opioid/controlled-substance CE hour minimum is itemized in the dental CE rule. No explicit live-vs-self-study cap stated. Records retained ~5 years; subject to random audit. Regulation: RI 216-RICR-40-05-2. Confirm current role-specific requirements with the Rhode Island dental board before renewing.

## Renewal cycle and mandatory topics

2-year cycle; licenses expire June 30 of even-numbered years, renewal due by May 1 of even-numbered years. MANDATORY: minimum of 1 hour PER YEAR (i.e., part of each cycle) of training on the CDC Infection Control Guidelines for all dentists, hygienists, and assistants; current Basic Life Support (BLS/BCLS) Healthcare-Provider certificate with a hands-on component per American Heart Association guidelines; annual OSHA training for those in a dental setting. Controlled-substance (21 CFR) and OSHA (29 CFR 1910) standards are incorporated by reference but no separate opioid/controlled-substance CE hour minimum is itemized in the dental CE rule. No explicit live-vs-self-study cap stated. Records retained ~5 years; subject to random audit. Regulation: RI 216-RICR-40-05-2.

## Official board source

- <https://rules.sos.ri.gov/regulations/part/216-40-05-2>

## References

- <https://rules.sos.ri.gov/regulations/part/216-40-05-2>
- <https://www.ridental.org/CE>

## Related

- [Dental Assistant CE Requirements by State](https://dentovio.com/dental-assistant-ce-requirements/index.html.md)
- [Rhode Island dental CE requirements](https://dentovio.com/ce-requirements/rhode-island/index.html.md)
- [Rhode Island online dental CE](https://dentovio.com/online-dental-ce/rhode-island/index.html.md)
- [Rhode Island dental license renewal CE requirements](https://dentovio.com/ce-requirements/rhode-island/license-renewal/index.html.md)
- [All dental CE requirements by state](https://dentovio.com/ce-requirements/index.html.md)
- [Dental CE hours tracker](https://dentovio.com/tools/ce-tracker)