CE License Requirement

The following is a summary of CE regulations that pertain to California Licensees. You may view the complete regulations on the Dental Board of California website at www.dbc.ca.gov.

For each two-year renewal period, the licensee/permit holder must complete continuing education courses delivered by a Dental Board approved CE provider of which a minimum of 50% must be live-instructive courses that include DBC Mandated CE Courses.

Unlicensed Dental Assistants: BLS CPR (and renewals); a one-time 2-hour California Dental Practice Act; 8-hour Infection Control (of which 4 hours is didactic).

Note: The employer dentist is responsible for ensuring that all Unlicensed Dental Assistants obtain and maintain the required education and certifications.

Approval of Consolidated Continuing Education Rulemaking

On September 7, 2022, the Office of Administrative Law approved amendments to California Code of Regulations (CCR), title 16, sections 1016 and 1017 and the adoption of section 1016.2, which will become effective on January 1, 2023. This regulatory action will expand the current continuing education (CE) requirements and includes a new mandatory course for dentist license renewal on the responsibilities and requirements of prescribing Schedule II opioid drugs.

Mandatory Courses:

• Infection Control - 2 units
• California Dental Practice Act - 2 units
• Basic Life Support for the health care professional - Maximum of 4 units by an American Heart Association (AHA) provider or American Red Cross (ARC) provided to include the following:
• Instruction in both adult and pediatric CPR
• Instruction in the use of Automated External Defibrillation with CPR
• Live, in-person skills practice session, a skills test and a written exam

In addition, Cal-OSHA requires annual training in infection control and OSHA compliance of all employees who are exposed to bloodborne pathogens, whether licensed or unlicensed. Cal-OSHA does not require the issuance of CE credit for the training, only that all be trained.

Courses limited to 20% of a licensee's total course unit credits:

• Courses to improve recall and scheduling systems, production flow, communication system, data management
• Courses in organization and management of the dental practice, including office computerization
• Courses in leadership development and team building
• Coursework in peer evaluation and case studies that include reviewing clinical evaluation procedures, reviewing diagnostic methods, studying radiographic data, study models and treatment planning procedures
• Courses in human resource management and employee benefits
  

Courses not eligible for CE credit:

• Courses in money management, the licensee's personal finances or personal business matters such as financial planning, estate planning, and personal investments
• Courses in general physical fitness, weight management or the licensee's personal health
• Presentations by political or public figures or other persons that do not deal primarily with dental practice or issues impacting the dental profession
• Courses designed to make the licenses a better business person or designed to improve licensee personal profitability, including motivation and marketing
• Courses pertaining to the purchase or sale of a dental practice, business or office; courses in transfer of practice ownership, acquisition of partners and associates, practice valuation, practice transitions or retirement.
• Courses pertaining to the provision of elective facial cosmetic surgery as defined by the Dental Practice Act in Section 1638.1, unless the licensee has a special permit obtained from the Board to perform such procedures pursuant to Section 1638.1 of the Code.

Completion of a course does not constitute authorization for the attendee to perform any services that he or she is not legally authorized to perform based on his or her license or permit type.

The license or permit of a person who fails to accumulate the required CE units shall not be renewed until such time as the licensee complies with those requirements.

CE course certificates will be retained by the licensee for three (3) renewal periods and shall forward such certifications to the Board when requested for audit purposes. A licensee who fails to retain a certification record shall contact the CE provider and obtain a duplicate certification.

Any licensee who furnishes false or misleading information to the DBC regarding his or her CE units may be subject to disciplinary action. The Board may audit a licensee's continuing education records as it deems necessary to ensure that the continuing education requirements are met.