To renew on active status, dentists and dental hygienists must complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years or qualify for an exemption. Licensees are also required to complete a minimum of one hour each in the following areas:
Infection control
Iowa jurisprudence
Opioids*
Sedation**
*Only required for dentists who prescribe opioids within the current renewal period (Sept. 2024 - Aug. 2026).
**Only required for dentists who hold a moderate sedation or general anesthesia permit. This requirement does not apply to dental hygienists.
Requirement Type
Overview
CPR
Required for renewal – can claim up to three hours for completing course.
To be eligible, CPR certification courses must be from nationally-recognized sponsor, and include a "hands-on", clinical component. A CPR course may include an online component provided there is an in-person portion prior to the certification being issued.
Infection Control
Must complete a minimum of one hour every two years in the area of infection control standards as required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Iowa Jurisprudence
Must complete a minimum of one hour every two years in the area of Iowa jurisprudence.
Abuse Identification and Reporting Training
Effective July 1, 2019, licensees and registrants who practice in Iowa, must complete training through the Department of Human Services and renew the training every three years thereafter. Credit can be claimed for completing courses.
Six hours for dentists who hold a current moderate sedation or general anesthesia or permit. These hours may also be reported towards the hours required for renewal of the dental license.
Please note: This requirement does not apply to local anesthesia permit holders.
Dental Assistants
To renew on active status, dental assistants must complete 20 hours of hours of continuing education every two years or qualify for an exemption. Registrants are also required to complete a minimum of one hour each in the following areas:
Infection control
Iowa jurisprudence
Dental radiography***
***Only required of dental assistants who hold a qualification in dental radiography.
Requirement Type
Overview
CPR
Required for renewal – can claim up to three hours for completing course.
To be eligible, CPR certification courses must be from nationally-recognized sponsor, and include a "hands-on", clinical component. A CPR course may include an online component provided there is an in-person portion prior to the certification being issued.
Infection Control
Must complete a minimum of one hour every two years in the area of infection control standards as required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Iowa Jurisprudence
Must complete a minimum of one hour every two years in the area of Iowa jurisprudence.
Dental Radiography
Dental assistants who hold a radiography qualification (QDA, XDA) must complete a minimum of two hours every two years in the area of dental radiography.
Abuse Identification & Reporting Training
Effective July 1, 2019, licensees and registrants who practice in Iowa, must complete training through the Department of Human Services and renew the training every three years thereafter. Credit can be claimed for completing courses.
Note: The DHS core training is awarded two hours for each section completed, for a possible total of four hours.
List items for Continuing Education & CPR Resources
The following are lists of continuing education providers that offer courses in the areas of continuing education specifically required for renewal. Additional resources may exist that are not listed here.
If completing one of the following courses for the didactic portion of the CPR certification, you may want to verify with the hands-on instructor whether they will accept the online training from the resources below. While the board will accept the following courses to meet the didactic/online training component, the board cannot make CPR instructors accept the training when determining whether the CPR certification is complete including hands-on training.
Please note: Not all OSHA courses will meet this requirement. Although there may be some overlap between OSHA training and infection control standards, not all OSHA courses address matters related to infection control. If your OSHA training includes a minimum of one hour focused on CDC guidelines for infection control in dental offices, that training will meet this requirement. Should you use an OSHA course to meet this requirement, you may be asked to submit evidence of the focus on infection control if you should be selected for continuing education audit.
Note: Be aware that not all continuing education courses about intraoral imaging will meet the continuing education requirement for dental assistants of two hours in the area of dental radiography.
Beginning in 2019, dentists who prescribe opioids during the previous biennium renewal period are required to complete a minimum of one hour of continuing education in the subject of opioids. The training shall include the following:
Guidelines for prescribing opioids, including recommendations on limitations of dosages and the length of prescriptions;
Risk factors for abuse; and
Non-opioid and non-pharmacologic therapy options.
The continuing education course in opioids may be counted towards the renewal requirement of 30 hours of continuing education. In the event the course does not cover the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guideline for prescribing opioids for chronic pain, the licensee shall read the guideline prior to license renewal.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain
Licensees who need to review the guidelines for prescribing opioids for chronic pain may do so here.
Licensees and registrants who practice in Iowa must complete training through the Department of Human Services and renew the training every three years thereafter. Continuing education credit can be claimed for completing courses.
