Mandatory Continuing Education

New York State’s Mandatory Continuing Education Law for the dental profession became effective January 1997. Practicing hygienists in New York State are required to take 24 credit hours every three years.

  • Registered Dental Hygienists – 24 CEs for re-licensure. 10 CEs can be home-study
  • Hygienists are required to complete a course in Infection Control every four years
  • Licenses must be renewed every 3 years.

The following entities are authorized to approve sponsors of continuing education for New York State dentists and dental hygienists.

  • The American Dental Association Continuing Education Recognition Program (ADA CERP)
    A list of sponsors approved by ADA CERP is available from the Continuing Education Recognition Program, American Dental Association, 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611-2678; phone 312-440-2869; Website: https://ccepr.ada.org/en/recognition-process.
  • The Academy of General Dentistry Program Approval for Continuing Education (AGD PACE)
    A list of sponsors approved by AGD PACE is available from the Academy of General Dentistry, 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611-2670; phone 312-440-4300; Website: https://www.agd.org/education/learn/find-a-pace-provider. Note that AGD sponsors must have national approval to be acceptable.
  • The New York State Dental Association (NYSDA)
    Information regarding sponsors approved by NYSDA is available from the New York State Dental Association, 20 Corporate Woods, #602, Albany, NY 12211; phone 518-465-0044; Website: www.nysdental.org.
  • The New York State Education Department (NYSED) and Office of the Professions (OP)
    Information regarding sponsors approved by NYSED is available from the New York State Education Department, State Board for Dentistry, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12234-1000; phone 518-474-3817 ext. 550; fax 518-473-6995; Website: https://www.nysed.gov/. The Office of the Professions website can be found at https://www.op.nysed.gov/.

    • Although they are not authorized to approve sponsors, colleges, universities, and other degree-granting institutions offering degree (A.A.S., B.S., M.S., D.D.S., Ph.D.) and certificate or diploma programs carrying degree credit that are registered by the State Education Department or that are accredited by an equivalent accrediting agency are approved as sponsors for courses in their registered or accredited programs.
    • A list of New York State degree-granting institutions is available from the New York State Education Department, Office of Higher Education, Office of College and University Evaluation, 5 N. Mezzanine, Albany, NY 12234; phone 518-474-5851; Inventory of Registered Programs Web site www.nysed.gov/heds/IRPSL1.html.

In addition, the following entities are authorized to approve sponsors of continuing education for New York State dental hygienists only.

  • The American Academy of Dental Hygiene, Inc. (AADH)
    Information regarding sponsors approved by AADH is available from the American Academy of Dental Hygiene, Inc., 13 Hamilton Avenue, Stamford, CT;  at Executive Director at www.aadh.org
  • New York Dental Hygienists’ Association (NYDHA)
    Information regarding sponsors approved by NYDHA is available from the Dental Hygienists’ Association of the State of New York, 150 State Street, Suite 404, Albany, NY 12207; phone 518-477-0343, or by email at info@nydha.org.

If you are unsure whether a sponsor offering a continuing education program is approved, feel free to contact the Dental Board by phone at 518-474-3817, ext. 550 or by e-mail at dentbd@mail.nysed.gov.

Appropriate subjects include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

  • basic and clinical dental sciences
  • behavioral science
  • pharmacology of new and developing drugs
  • drug interactions
  • public health issues
  • child abuse reporting
  • infection control
  • sterile procedures
  • legal or regulatory issues
  • patient counseling
  • risk management
  • other topics that contribute to the practice of your profession; and
  • other matters of health care, law, and ethics that contribute to the public’s health and welfare.

The key is the subject matter’s relationship to professional practice as defined in section 6601 of Education Law. Therefore, courses that are not related, such as PRACTICE MANAGEMENT, accounting, finance, statistics, and how to use the Internet are NOT ACCEPTABLE.

If you are unsure whether a course you would like to take will meet the continuing education requirement, feel free to contact the Dental Board by phone at 518-474-3817, ext. 550 or by e-mail at dentbd@mail.nysed.gov.