Continuing Education Required in Georgia
At the GDA office we have received a number of phone calls asking for clarification on what are the requirements for continuing education (CE) in this license renewal year.
But it doesn't stop there. Dentists and dental staff are also required to have annual training and, in some cases, additional education beyond the standard CE requirements listed below.
This article should clear things up if you read it in its entirety.
CE Requirements for Dentists
At least 40 Hours of Continuing Education obtained in 2022 and 2023
Further Requisites – Of the 40 hours:
- 30 hours must be clinical in nature (pertaining to patient care)
- 20 hours can be from webinars and other forms of online CE
- 20 hours must be obtained in-person (the Board of Dentistry has allowed live webinars and other forms of live virtual CE for the 2022-2023 license renewal period)
- 1 hour of CE on “the impact of opioid abuse and/or the proper prescription writing and use of opioids in dental practice”
- 1 hour of CE in legal, ethic and professionalism in dentistry (see more here)
- Proof of CPR certification (CE obtained in the renewal of the certification may apply toward your 40-hour requirement)
CE Requirements for Dental Hygienists
At least 22 Hours of Continuing Education obtained in 2022 and 2023
Further Requisites – Of the 22 hours:
- 15 hours must be clinical in nature (pertaining to patient care)
- 11 hours can be from webinars and other forms of online CE
- 11 hours must be obtained in-person (the Board of Dentistry has allowed live webinars and other forms of live virtual CE for the 2022-2023 license renewal period)
- Proof of CPR certification (CE obtained in the renewal of the certification may apply toward your 40-hour requirement)
CE Required in Georgia
Required CE: Opioid CE - 1 hour of CE on “the impact of opioid abuse and/or the proper prescription writing and use of opioids in dental practice”
Required For: All licensed Georgia dentists (no exceptions)
Date Required: For license renewal – end of 2023
Required CE: CPR Certification
Required For: All licensed Georgia dentists and hygienists (no exceptions)
Date Required: For license renewal – end of 2023
Required For: Any staff that may come in contact with blood (nearly all dental staff)
Date Required: Annually
Required Training: HIPAA Training
Required For: All staff, new hires
Date Required: Code of Federal Regulation (CFR § 164.530) requires HIPAA training for all staff, new hires within a reasonable period of time after hire, and any time “functions are affected by a material change in the policies or procedures” (pretty much annually)
Required CE: Radiation Safety Training – 6 hours
Required For: Dental Assistants or anyone that did not get radiation safety training in their dental education
Date Required: Prior to the use of x-ray equipment
Required CE: Pharmacology, Anesthesia, Emergency Medicine or Sedation – 4 hours
Required For: Dentists in practices with a sedation permit
Date Required: For license renewal – end of 2023
For those dentists ready to renew their license, please visit the Georgia Board of Dentistry’s (Board) website at http://gbd.georgia.gov and click on the “Renew Online” option on the right side of the screen. Please share this information with any dental hygienists in your office so
that these individuals will also be in compliance. Please note that online renewals can often be processed within hours of submission.
To help ensure a quick and easy license renewal cycle, your Georgia Dental Association has some helpful tips for you to remember:
• Dentists must complete 40 hours of continuing education every two years and dental hygienists must complete 22 hours of continuing education. Half of those hours must be obtained at an onsite course. (You are not allowed to acquire all hours through online courses, electronic means, journal studies, etc.) Of the total hours required for a dentist, 30 hours must be clinical courses. Up to 10 hours may be obtained by providing uncompensated dental care at a public agency, not for profit agency, or association which provides dentistry to indigent patients. For dental hygienists, 15 of the total 22 hours must be clinical in nature and up to five hours may be obtained for indigent care. For every four hours of indigent care provided, dentists and dental hygienists may earn one CE hour.
• The Georgia Board of Dentistry provides blanket approval for all CE provided by GDA and affiliated associations and societies. For a full list of approved CE providers see Board Rule 150-3-.09.
• One (1) hour of the minimum requirement shall include the impact of opioid abuse and/or the proper prescription writing and use of opioids in dental practice.
• Both dentists and dental hygienists may earn up to four credit hours for completion of the CPR course required by Georgia law. CPR courses offered by the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, the American Safety and Health Institute, National Safety Council, or EMS Safety Services are acceptable to the Board. Other activities such as assisting the Board with investigations, teaching clinical dentistry, or administering clinical licensing exams may qualify for hours. Check Board Rule 150-3-.09 for details.
• Remember to maintain official documentation of course attendance for at least three years after the biennium during which the courses were taken. The Board is authorized to conduct audits to verify compliance with the continuing education requirements. If you are selected
to undergo an audit, you will need to produce official documentation of course attendance.
• Licenses expire after December 31, 2021, and if a licensee fails to renew by that date, the renewal fee increases.
• If a licensee has submitted a complete renewal application by December 31, 2021, the licensee’s license status online will change from “active” to “active-renewal pending.” This does not mean that the license has lapsed, is inactive, is deficient, or invalid in any way. Rather, this merely reflects that the licensee has submitted a timely renewal application. Please save the receipt generated after submission of a timely and complete application as additional proof of renewal during the period in which the application is reviewed.
• All dentists and dental hygienists seeking renewal this year are again required to submit census data with their renewal application. This was first required with the 2013 renewal cycle. All dentists and dental hygienists must complete and provide a census questionnaire and submit the completed questionnaire to the Board’s email address: dentistry@dch.ga.gov. The census form is available in the “Forms” section of the Board of Dentistry website. Completion of an Affidavit of Citizenship is not required this year unless a dentist or dental hygienist did
not submit this affidavit in 2013.
• CE requirements do apply within the first two years that a dentist is licensed in Georgia. However, a newly licensed dentist may submit as their CE hours proof of dental coursework taken within the previous two years of the date of the renewal application from their accredited
dental educational institution.
Should you have questions about licensure renewal, please contact the Board of Dentistry at (404) 651-8000.