# Tennessee dentist CE requirements

> Role-specific continuing education summary for dentists renewing in Tennessee.

URL: https://dentovio.com/ce-requirements/tennessee/dentist

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 Tennessee dental board before filing a renewal.

## Direct answer

Dentists in Tennessee: 40 hours / 2 years. Renewal-cycle notes: CE cycle = two calendar years, January 1 of an odd-numbered year through December 31 of the following even-numbered year, preceding the renewal year (Rule 0460-01-.05). Mandatory topics: at least 2 hours in chemical dependency education for dentists, hygienists, AND registered dental assistants (per rule 0460-01-.05; note the statutory topic is worded 'chemical dependency' — some CE vendors describe it as controlled-substance/opioid prescribing). Dentists holding sedation/anesthesia permits need an additional minimum 4 hours in anesthesia/sedation within the 40. CPR: current CPR/BLS certification required, must be in-person with a hands-on skills exam. Live-vs-self-study cap: for dental hygienists, no more than 50% of the CE requirement may be earned from online/web-based courses (a live interactive webinar counts as in-person, not online). No general jurisprudence CE for renewal (jurisprudence is an initial-licensure exam). New licensees exempt during initial cycle. Records retained 3 years. Confirm current role-specific requirements with the Tennessee dental board before renewing.

## Renewal cycle and mandatory topics

CE cycle = two calendar years, January 1 of an odd-numbered year through December 31 of the following even-numbered year, preceding the renewal year (Rule 0460-01-.05). Mandatory topics: at least 2 hours in chemical dependency education for dentists, hygienists, AND registered dental assistants (per rule 0460-01-.05; note the statutory topic is worded 'chemical dependency' — some CE vendors describe it as controlled-substance/opioid prescribing). Dentists holding sedation/anesthesia permits need an additional minimum 4 hours in anesthesia/sedation within the 40. CPR: current CPR/BLS certification required, must be in-person with a hands-on skills exam. Live-vs-self-study cap: for dental hygienists, no more than 50% of the CE requirement may be earned from online/web-based courses (a live interactive webinar counts as in-person, not online). No general jurisprudence CE for renewal (jurisprudence is an initial-licensure exam). New licensees exempt during initial cycle. Records retained 3 years.

## Official board source

- <https://www.tn.gov/health/licensure/den.html>

## References

- <https://www.ada.org/en/education/licensure>
- <https://www.tn.gov/health/licensure/den.html>

## Related

- [Dentist CE Requirements by State](https://dentovio.com/dentist-ce-requirements/index.html.md)
- [Tennessee dental CE requirements](https://dentovio.com/ce-requirements/tennessee/index.html.md)
- [Tennessee online dental CE](https://dentovio.com/online-dental-ce/tennessee/index.html.md)
- [Tennessee dental license renewal CE requirements](https://dentovio.com/ce-requirements/tennessee/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)