CECEChart

Dental Board of California

California dentist CE requirements

The published continuing-education requirements for a California dental license, laid out clearly so you can see the whole picture before your renewal.

What the board requires

  • 50 hrsTotal per biennial cycle.
  • 2 hrsInfection Control (California-specific, Board-approved), counted within the total.
  • 2 hrsCalifornia Dental Practice Act (law/jurisprudence), counted within the total.
  • 4 hrsBasic Life Support (BLS/CPR), counted within the total.
  • 2 hrsResponsibilities and Requirements of Prescribing Schedule II Opioid Drugs (effective Jan 1, 2023), counted within the total.
  • Up to 25 hrsNon-live / correspondence / self-study courses capped at 50% of total (max 25 of 50 units).
  • Up to 8 hrsPer-day maximum: no more than 8 units may be applied per single day (DISPUTED modeling - see flags).
  • RequiredCurrent Basic Life Support (BLS) - course must include a live, in-person skills practice session, a skills test, and a written examination (online-only not accepted) (does not count toward CE hours).
One honest caveat. We have not yet confirmed every number against the primary board source, so we are not running an automatic California calculator. We would rather leave it out than guess. Confirm the exact requirements with Dental Board of California.
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See also: all state CE requirements · FAGD/MAGD calculator · FAGD requirements · MAGD requirements · CE by subject · CE course directory

Common questions

How many CE hours do California dentists need?

50 hours per biennial renewal cycle. That is what CEChart has on file from the source cited on this page, not a figure confirmed against Dental Board of California, so check it with the board before you rely on it.

Which specific topics does California require?

2 hours infection Control (California-specific, Board-approved); 2 hours california Dental Practice Act (law/jurisprudence); 4 hours basic Life Support (BLS/CPR); 2 hours responsibilities and Requirements of Prescribing Schedule II Opioid Drugs (effective Jan 1, 2023). These count inside the total, not on top of it. Not confirmed against Dental Board of California yet.

Are there limits on how California dentists can earn CE hours?

Yes: non-live / correspondence / self-study courses capped at 50% of total (max 25 of 50 units) (up to 25 hours); per-day maximum: no more than 8 units may be applied per single day (DISPUTED modeling - see flags) (up to 8 hours). Not confirmed against Dental Board of California yet.

Does California require anything besides CE hours?

Yes: current Basic Life Support (BLS) - course must include a live, in-person skills practice session, a skills test, and a written examination (online-only not accepted). That is a credential you hold, not CE hours you count. Not confirmed against Dental Board of California yet.

Can CEChart track my California CE automatically?

Not yet. We show the California requirements and their sources, but we do not run an automatic California calculator until every number is confirmed against Dental Board of California.

Source: Dental Board of California (https://www.dbc.ca.gov/licensees/dentist_continuing_education.shtml). These are the published requirements as we read them, not legal or board advice, and CEChart does not certify compliance. Confirm your requirements with Dental Board of California before you rely on them.

Want California tracking when it is ready?

Leave your email and we will tell you the moment we confirm this state's rule.