Continuing Education Requirements for Renewal of License or Permit

Pursuant to California Code of Regulations, title 16 (16 CCR), section 1015, all holders of licenses granted by the Board are required to continue their education after receiving a license. However, license and permit holders are not required to complete continuing education (CE) requirements the first time they renew their license.

With the exception of courses in Basic Life Support (BLS) and mandatory courses, CE courses must be taken from a CE Registered Provider licensed by the Board, or a provider approved by the American Dental Association’s Continuing Education Recognition Program (CERP) or the Academy of General Dentistry’s Program Approval for Continuing Education (PACE). The Board does not approve individual courses; the Board approves licensed Registered Providers to offer specific mandatory courses.

Pursuant to 16 CCR sections 1016 and 1017, you must complete the following mandatory CE courses to renew a dental assisting license or permit:

• A two-unit, Board-approved Infection Control course.
  This course must be taken through a Registered Provider approved by the Board to offer an Infection Control course.
• A two-unit, Board-approved course on the California Dental Practice Act.
  This course must be taken through a Registered Provider approved by the Board to offer a California Dental Practice Act course.
• A maximum of four units of a course in Basic Life Support (BLS).
  This course must be a BLS course provided by the American Red Cross (ARC) or American Heart Association (AHA), or a BLS course approved by the American Safety and Health Institute (ASHI), American Dental Association's Continuing Education Recognition Program (CERP), or the Academy of General Dentistry's Program Approval for Continuing Education (PACE). This is the only mandatory course that may be taken from a provider approved by CERP or PACE instead of by the Board.
  Courses that are online only will not be accepted for the BLS requirement. The course must include a live, in person skills practice session; a skills test; and a written examination.

To verify that a Registered Provider is approved to teach the mandatory course they are offering, see the Approved Mandatory Course Providers section below. Mandatory course certificates will not be accepted by the Board unless the course is taken from a CE provider approved to teach that specific course. To verify that a CE provider’s license is current and valid, use the online DCA BreEZe License Search tool. See the Lookup of Approved Registered Providers section below.

CE Unit Requirements

Typically, one CE unit equals one hour of instruction. The total CE units required for renewal are:

Authority: 16 CCR section 1017.

In fulfilling CE requirements, the following conditions must be met:

• Courses must be taken within the most recent 2-year license or permit renewal period.
• No more than 50% of the total required units may be taken as non-live or correspondence courses. Interactive courses may be considered as live courses. Interactive courses are defined as courses that use live video conferencing, live webinar, live lectures, and live workshop demonstrations.
• No more than 8 units per day can be applied to the total unit requirement.
• Licensees must retain certificates of CE course completion for a period of three renewal periods.

Out-of-State Courses Offered by a Provider Not Approved by the Board, PACE, or CERP

To request approval of a CE course presented outside of California by a provider not approved by the Board, PACE, or CERP, submit a completed Application for Continuing Education Approval for Out-of-State Course Offered by an Unregistered California Provider form. Attach to the form a course outline, the course objectives, and a certificate of completion from the provider that includes the length of the course. The application must be submitted and approved before the renewal cycle ends.

Approved Mandatory Course Providers

To verify that a Registered Provider is approved to teach the mandatory course they are offering, consult the lists of approved providers using the links below. Registered Providers must renew every two years, and the lists are updated monthly. It is important to verify that the information is current because the status of a provider can change. The lists below include the Name, Permit Status, Expiration Date, and Address of Record of each Registered Provider.

• California Infection Control
• California Dental Practice Act

Lookup of Approved Registered Providers

To verify that a Registered Provider’s license is current and valid, use the online DCA BreEZe License Search tool. The Registered CE Provider must have a Current - Active permit that is not expired to be valid.

EXAMPLE:

Continuing Education Audits

The Board conducts random CE audits of active licensees each month. If you are audited and did NOT complete the required number of CE units for your license or permit type within the last two years, an enforcement action may be taken against your license. An enforcement action may include a citation and fine. Licensees are required to retain their certificates of CE course completion for a period of three renewal periods.

For more information, call (916) 263-2300 or email LPCU.DBC@dca.ca.gov.