# Tennessee dental license renewal

> Renewal CE summary, official board source, and filing checklist for dental professionals renewing in Tennessee.

URL: https://dentovio.com/dental-license-renewal/tennessee

Last verified: 2026-07-08

Research confidence: high

Educational summary only, not compliance advice. Renewal dates, filing windows, fees, approved-provider rules, audit rules, and mandatory topics can change. Confirm current instructions with the Tennessee dental board before filing a renewal.

## Direct answer

For dental license renewal in Tennessee, use the official board for filing forms, fees, deadlines, and final instructions. Dentovio summarizes the renewal CE signals: dentists need 40 hours / 2 years; dental hygienists need 30 hours / 2 years; dental assistants: Registered Dental Assistants: 24 hours / 2 years (at least 2 hours chemical dependency education). Applies to registered dental assistants.. 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.

## Renewal CE snapshot

- Dentists: 40 hours / 2 years
- Dental hygienists: 30 hours / 2 years
- Dental assistants: Registered Dental Assistants: 24 hours / 2 years (at least 2 hours chemical dependency education). Applies to registered dental assistants.

## Renewal cycle and mandatory-topic 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.

## Before filing

- Open the official board source and confirm the current filing window, fee, form, and renewal status.
- Confirm required CE hours, mandatory topics, approved-provider rules, and live/self-study limits.
- Keep completion certificates and audit documentation for the retention period stated by the board.
- Use Dentovio's CE tracker as a planning aid, not as a board filing system.

## Official board source

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

## References

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

## Related

- [Tennessee dental CE requirements](https://dentovio.com/ce-requirements/tennessee/index.html.md)
- [Tennessee dental CPR/BLS requirements](https://dentovio.com/dental-cpr-requirements/tennessee/index.html.md)
- [Tennessee online dental CE](https://dentovio.com/online-dental-ce/tennessee/index.html.md)
- [Tennessee dental license lookup](https://dentovio.com/dental-license-lookup/tennessee/index.html.md)
- [Tennessee dental renewal CE page](https://dentovio.com/ce-requirements/tennessee/license-renewal/index.html.md)
- [Tennessee dental board](https://dentovio.com/dental-boards/tennessee/index.html.md)
- [All dental license renewal pages](https://dentovio.com/dental-license-renewal/index.html.md)
- [Dental CE hours tracker](https://dentovio.com/tools/ce-tracker/index.html.md)