Continuing Education

Attention Licensees!
Effective July 15, 2010, the regulations detailing continuing education requirements have changed. The Board encourages you to review continuing education already taken to make sure it meets the requirements of the new regulations.

All dentists and dental hygienists are required to obtain 30 hours of continuing education, based on clock hours of attendance, every two years. These courses must relate to or advance the practice of dentistry or dental hygiene and be useful to the licensee's practice of dentistry or dental hygiene. A minimum of ten (10) hours must be taken in a live interactive presentation format.

These hours must meet the requirements outlined in 201 KAR 8:532 for dentists and 201 KAR 8:562 for dental hygienists. 

There is no limit on the number of hours which can be obtained by courses including content designed to increase:

• Competency in treating patients who are medically compromised or who experience medical emergencies during the course of dental treatment
• Knowledge of pharmaceutical products and the protocol of the proper use of medications
• Competence to diagnose oral pathology (for dentists only)
• Awareness of currently accepted methods of infection control
• Knowledge of basic medical and scientific subjects including, but not limited to, biology, physiology, pathology, biochemistry, pharmacology, epidemiology, and public health
• Knowledge of clinical and technological subjects including, but not limited to, clinical techniques and procedures, materials, and equipment
• Knowledge of subjects pertinent to patient management, safety, and oral healthcare
  AND
• competency in assisting in mass casualty or mass immunization situations.

A maximum of ten (10) hours total may be taken which contain the following content:

• Increase of clinical skills through the volunteer of clinical charitable dentistry which meets the requirements of KRS 313.254.
• Increase knowledge of office business operations and best practices
• Participation in dental or dental hygiene association or society business meetings.

Faculty of a dental or dental hygiene school, college, or program do not receive continuing education credit for their teaching hours.

Duplicate credit cannot be claimed for the same course in a renewal biennium with the exception of a bloodborne pathogens course taken to meet annual Federal OSHA requirements.

It is the sole responsibility of each licensee to obtain a certificate verifying participation in continuing education courses and activities.

Certificates must contain the following information:

• The signature of or verification by the provider
• The name of the licensee in attendance
• The title of the course or meeting attended or completed
• The date of attendance or completion
• The number of hours earned (based on clock hours of attendance)
• Evidence of the method of delivery if the course was taken in a live interactive presentation format.

Licensees must keep this documentation for a minimum of five (5) years. Each licensee is subject to audit of proof of CE compliance by the Board.

A licensee may submit a written request for a hardship waiver to the Board if he or she feels that meeting the continuing education requirements would be an undue burden.  The waiver request should be received in the Board office prior to last Board Meeting of the renewal year, which is the second Saturday in November (November 12, 2011 for dentists; November 10, 2012 for hygienists).

If the Board approves your request for a hardship waiver, it must be kept along with continuing education documentation.

Q. May a dentist use the education hours obtained to apply for an initial sedation permit toward the regular 30 hour continuing education requirement?  What about the hours obtained as required for the renewal of a sedation permit? 

At the November 12, 2011 Board Meeting, the Kentucky Board of Dentistry resolved that licensees may apply the DIFFERENCE only in C.E. hours used to meet anesthesia renewal and/or application requirements toward the regular 30 hours of continuing education required for license renewal.

Other than the DIFFERENCE in hours only, the education requirements in 201 KAR 8:550 shall not be used to satisfy other continuing education requirements and shall be in addition to the 30 hours of continuing education required under 201 KAR 8:532.

Q. May a dentist or hygienist use the education hours obtained to meet the ten year HIV/AIDS education requirement?

Effective March 12, 2005, the Board allows a licensee's HIV/AIDS course to count toward the 30 hour continuing education requirement.

Q. Is there any restriction against a hygienist using the certification courses such as training for IV line placement; laser use; medical emergencies courses for purposes of General Supervision Privileges; local anesthesia or nitrous oxide analgesia training to apply toward the 30 hour C.E. requirement under 201 KAR 8:562 Section 5?

There is no prohibition under current law against applying any of the above Board-approved certification courses toward the 30 hour continuing education requirement.