Requirement
50 CE units per two-year renewal period (one unit typically equals one hour), including mandatory courses
Courses must be taken within the most recent 2–year license or permit renewal period.
Continuing Education Requirements for Renewal of a License or Permit (dentists) · Dental Board of California · read on 17 October 2026Typically, one CE unit equals one hour of instruction.
Continuing Education Requirements for Renewal of a License or Permit (dentists) · Dental Board of California · read on 17 October 2026The total CE units required for renewal are: License or Permit Type Units Dentist 50
Continuing Education Requirements for Renewal of a License or Permit (dentists) · Dental Board of California · read on 17 October 2026
Period / cycle
Personal two-year licence renewal period (date on your licence).
Courses must be taken within the most recent 2–year license or permit renewal period.
Continuing Education Requirements for Renewal of a License or Permit (dentists) · Dental Board of California · read on 17 October 2026
Details
Mandatory courses: infection control (2 units), California Dental Practice Act (2 units), Basic Life Support (mandatory; at most 4 units count; in-person skills session), prescribing Schedule II opioids (2 units). At most 8 units per day, at most 50% non-live or correspondence courses.
A two–unit, Board–approved Infection Control course.
Continuing Education Requirements for Renewal of a License or Permit (dentists) · Dental Board of California · read on 17 October 2026A maximum of four units of a course in Basic Life Support (BLS).
Continuing Education Requirements for Renewal of a License or Permit (dentists) · Dental Board of California · read on 17 October 2026A two–unit, Board–approved course on Responsibilities and Requirements of Prescribing Schedule II Opioid Drugs.
Continuing Education Requirements for Renewal of a License or Permit (dentists) · Dental Board of California · read on 17 October 2026No more than 8 units per day can be applied to the total unit requirement.
Continuing Education Requirements for Renewal of a License or Permit (dentists) · Dental Board of California · read on 17 October 2026No more than 50% of the total required units may be taken as non–live or correspondence courses.
Continuing Education Requirements for Renewal of a License or Permit (dentists) · Dental Board of California · read on 17 October 2026Courses that are online only will not be accepted for the BLS requirement.
Continuing Education Requirements for Renewal of a License or Permit (dentists) · Dental Board of California · read on 17 October 2026
If the requirement is not met
If an audit finds missing units, enforcement action such as a citation and fine may follow.
An enforcement action may include a citation and fine.
Continuing Education Requirements for Renewal of a License or Permit (dentists) · Dental Board of California · read on 17 October 2026