Texas dental CE requirements
Continuing education for license renewal in Texas, by role. Confirm current rules with the board before you rely on them.
Dental assistant
Registered Dental Assistants (RDAs): 12 hours / 2 years, of which at least 6 hours must be clinical (rule expressed as 6 hours/year, at least 3 clinical). CPR/BLS must be a current hands-on course (online not accepted). Human trafficking prevention course required. Up to 6 CE hours may carry forward.
Role pageRenewal cycle & mandatory topics
Biennial (2-year) renewal. For dentists and hygienists: minimum 16 of the 24 hours must be scientific/technical (clinical); up to 8 hours may be risk management (record-keeping/HIPAA/ethics). Self-study cap: up to 8 hours may be self-study (correspondence/video/audio/reading). Jurisprudence: TSBDE Jurisprudence Assessment required every 4 years and does NOT count toward the 24 hours. Human trafficking prevention course (HHSC-approved) required and counts toward the 24. Opioids/controlled substances: dentists with direct patient care must complete at least 4 hours per biennium on safe/effective pain management related to prescribing opioids/controlled substances (a 2-hour DEA-related course counts toward this 4). CPR/BLS required but does not count toward the 24-hour minimum; OSHA and CPR excluded from the count. Carry-forward: up to 24 excess classroom-format hours earned in the year before renewal.
Open the renewal-focused CE pageOpen the CPR/BLS pageOfficial source
Texas board CE page →Track your hours
Prefilled to Texas — pick your role and enter hours completed.
Dentist requirement — Texas
24 hours / 2 years
24 hours to go
0 of 24 toward this cycle (best-effort parse — confirm exact rules with the board).
Cycle & mandatory topics
Biennial (2-year) renewal. For dentists and hygienists: minimum 16 of the 24 hours must be scientific/technical (clinical); up to 8 hours may be risk management (record-keeping/HIPAA/ethics). Self-study cap: up to 8 hours may be self-study (correspondence/video/audio/reading). Jurisprudence: TSBDE Jurisprudence Assessment required every 4 years and does NOT count toward the 24 hours. Human trafficking prevention course (HHSC-approved) required and counts toward the 24. Opioids/controlled substances: dentists with direct patient care must complete at least 4 hours per biennium on safe/effective pain management related to prescribing opioids/controlled substances (a 2-hour DEA-related course counts toward this 4). CPR/BLS required but does not count toward the 24-hour minimum; OSHA and CPR excluded from the count. Carry-forward: up to 24 excess classroom-format hours earned in the year before renewal.
References
- https://tsbde.texas.gov/licensing/dentists/dentist-continuing-education/
- https://tsbde.texas.gov/licensing/hygienists/hygienist-continuing-education/
- https://tsbde.texas.gov/licensing/dental-assistants/ce-information-and-submission-for-rdas/
- https://tsbde.texas.gov/licensing/dental-assistants/dental-assistant-renewal/