Iowa law requires licensees and registrants to complete continuing education in order to renew their licenses and registrations. To find continuing education courses, you can ask to be placed on the mailing list for your professional association or ask to be on the mailing list for your local community college or dental college. A list of sponsors is also available here.
Continuing education courses in the areas of expanded functions, or moderate sedation, deep sedation or general anesthesia, must receive prior approval from the board.
Below are some the most common guidelines to determine whether a continuing education activity is acceptable for renewal.
Contributes directly to professional practice, is of value to dentistry, applicable to oral health care, or relates to patient care.
Pertains to common subjects or other subject matters that relate to the practice of dentistry, dental hygiene, or dental assisting and that review or update knowledge of concepts and techniques and enhance the dental health of the public.
Developed or conducted by individuals with education, training or experience in the subject matter. Courses developed or approved by the following organizations meet these criteria.
American Dental Association (ADA)
Academy of General Dentistry (AGD)
Other Dental Specialty Organization
The following types of courses are eligible for the purposes of renewal:
Dental science course that includes topics that address the clinical practice of dentistry, dental hygiene, dental assisting and dental public health;
Courses pertaining to the practice of dentistry that include areas such as:
Recordkeeping
Medical Conditions that Affect Oral Health
Ergonomics Related to Clinical Practice
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
Risk Management
Sexual Boundaries
Communication with Patients
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Regulations
Discontinuation of Practice related to the Transition of Patient Care and Patient Records
Unacceptable subject matter and activity types for the purposes of renewal include but are not limited to the following subject areas. While desirable, the subjects and activities are not directly applicable to dental skills, knowledge, and competence. Such courses will receive no credit toward renewal.
Personal Development
Business Aspects of Practice
Business Strategy
Financial Management
Marketing or Sales
Practice Growth
Personnel Management
Insurance
Collective Bargaining
Credit is awarded based on "clock hour." This may vary, however, if portions of the course are not eligible for credit. For example, a four (4) hour course that discussed patient communication skills (an acceptable topic) for two (2) hours and covered personnel management (a topic ineligible for continuing education credit) for the remainder of the time would receive only two (2) hours of credit.
In all cases, the course sponsor should provide you with proof of attendance that indicates the number of continuing education credit hours awarded.
The board has established certain limits on the number of hours awarded for various activities. Keep these points in mind when calculating the number of hours you have earned each biennium.
Note: Licensees and registrants may not claim duplicate credit hours for repeat attendance at a course previously completed in the same renewal reporting period. Licensees and registrants may attend multiple courses in a single topic and claim credit for those activities.
Attendance at Convention-Type Meetings
Attendance at convention-type meetings (e.g. the IDA or ADA annual meeting(s)) is awarded 1.5 hours of credit per day, with a maximum of six (6) hours per biennium.
The hours of credit are for registration and attendance at the meeting.
Licensees and registrants may claim additional credit for attending table clinics or continuing education courses offered at the meeting.
Four (4) hours of credit is allowed for presenting an original table clinic at a convention meeting, as verified by the sponsor.
Two (2) hours of credit is awarded for attendance at the table clinic session of a convention meeting, as verified by the sponsor.
Miscellaneous Activities
Self-Study or Home-Study Activities — Maximum 12 Hours
CPR Recertification — Maximum Three (3) Hours
Postgraduate Study Relating to Health Sciences — 15 hours per Semester
Successful Completion of the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) for Dental Assistants — 15 Hours
Successful Completion of a Recognized Specialty Exam — 15 Hours
Teaching Related to Academic Duties — Maximum Six (6) Hours
Original Presentation or Publication
Original presentation of continuing dental education credit shall result in credit double that what the participant receives.
Credit is not awarded for repeating presentations, or for presentations that are part of normal teaching or academic duties.
Publication of Scientific Article(s) in Professional Journals Related to Dentistry, Dental Hygiene, or Dental Assisting — Maximum five (5) Hours per Article.
There is a maximum of 20 hours of credit for publication of scientific article(s).
Volunteer Hours
Licensees and registrants may claim continuing education credit for the volunteer of dental services at a free clinic or program, whose purpose is the delivery of dental care to low-income or underserved individuals.
Credit for the volunteer of services must comply with the following:
Hours must be verified by the free clinic or organization that sponsored the event or services provided;
Licensees and faculty permit holders may claim a maximum of six (6) hours of credit per renewal period; and
Registrants may claim a maximum of four (4) hours of credit per renewal period.
Beginning in 2025, licensees and registrants may carry forward a limited number of continuing education hours completed in the previous reporting period.
The licensee or registrant must have completed more continuing education hours in the previous renewal period than were required for renewal.
Dentists, dental hygienists, and faculty permit holders may apply a maximum of 15 hours of continuing education from the previous renewal period.
Registered dental assistants may apply a maximum of ten (10) hours of continuing education from the previous renewal period.
Licensees and registrants may not carry forward continuing education hours for activities related to the following:
All licensees and registrants may complete a maximum of 12 hours of self-study activities every renewal period. Self-study activities are defined as follows:
“Self-study activities”means, for the purposes of continuing education, the study of something by oneself, without direct supervision or attendance in a class. Self-study activities include Internet-based coursework, video programs, correspondence work, research, or programs that are interactive and require participation and decision making on the part of the viewer.
Note: Webinars that include instruction in real time and allow for real-time communication with the instructor are not counted as self-study activities.
Continuing education is reported at the time of license or registration renewal. Approximately 60 days before your license or registration expires, you will receive an email, notifying you about renewal.
As part of the renewal, licensees and registrants must report the number of continuing education hours completed. Additionally, licensees and registrants must provide the dates that they completed the mandatory abuse training, unless they qualify for an exemption or extension. Licensees and registrants are not required to provide proof of continuing education unless requested by the board.
Licensees and registrants must provide the expiration date of the current CPR certification. Evidence of current CPR certification must be provided to the board upon request.
Board rules require licensees and registrants to maintain a file of all continuing education courses attended. Licensees and registrants must maintain proof of attendance for four years after the year of attendance.
Continuing Education Audits
The board routinely audits renewals and may require licensees and registrants to submit evidence of all hours claimed for renewal. Failure to document enough continuing education hours could result in possible disciplinary action of a license or registration.
If a licensee or registrant loses copies of the proof of attendance forms, you should contact the course sponsor(s) for duplicate copies or other evidence of hours completed.
The board may grant individual extensions or exemptions in the following cases:
The current biennium renewal period, or portion thereof, following original issuance of a license or registration (first renewal in Iowa);
Periods that a person serves honorably on active duty in military services;
Periods that a person practices the person’s profession in another state having a continuing education requirement, and the licensee or registrant meets all of the requirements of that state;
Periods that a person is a government employee working in the person’s licensed or registered specialty and assigned to duty outside the United States;
Other periods of active practice and absence from the state approved by the board; and
In cases of illness or disability, licensees and registrants can apply for an extension or exemption of the continuing education requirements. Written application must be made on forms approved by the board.
Note: A licensed physician must also sign the form requesting extension or exemption based on illness or injury. The board may require the applicant to make up a certain portion or all of the minimum education requirements.
