Preventing California Dental Board Violations With Howard Academy Courses

If you are a dental care provider in California, your first priority should be ensuring that all of your dental staff members are properly licensed with relevant, up-to-date licensures.

Per the Dental Board of California License Verification page, performing licensed and/or permitted duties with an expired, canceled, or inactive license is a criminal offense.

To help you ensure that your dental licensure is up-to-date and prevent any Dental Board of California disciplinary actions, our team at Howard Academy has compiled the following FAQ guide to help guide you through the dental licensure renewal process.

In addition to our online guide, we also offer dental Continuing Education credits necessary for active license renewal. Read on to learn more about when Continuing Education is needed, and check out our Dental Assistant Program and
Standalone Certifications to satisfy your California Dental Board CE requirements for dental license renewal.

California Dental License Renewal CE Requirements and License Verification – FAQs

Dental professionals are responsible for keeping their RDA licenses current to continue legally administering dental care. To keep a dental license current, a dental professional must renew periodically. Read the following FAQ section to learn how the process of dental license renewal works and how Howard Academy can help dental professionals stay current with their licenses.

How often is dental license renewal needed?

Upon receiving licensure as a dental professional, you must update your license every two years, at a minimum. The expiration date of your license is based on your birth month and birth year. From the issuance of your license or permit, your first license or permit will expire on the last day of your birth month, in the first odd or even year corresponding with your birth year.

What are the renewal requirements for an “active” dental care provider?

Any dental care provider who is still actively practicing dental care must complete the following requirements to renew his or her license:

• Completed, signed, and dated renewal form submitted
• Renewal payment submitted
• Satisfactory completion of twenty-five (25) Continuing Education units
• Full disclosure of any licensing discipline by a government agency or relevant disciplinary body and any criminal conviction(s) since the last license/permit renewal
• Completed Dental Healthcare Workforce Survey
• Fulfillment of The Dental Board of California’s fingerprinting requirements

What are the renewal requirements for an “inactive” dental care provider?

A dental licensee or permittee may place his or her license on inactive status at the time of renewal. An inactive dental care provider does not currently practice dental care; however, renewal of an inactive license can save professionals time in completing the renewal process should they choose to practice dental care in the future. The renewal requirements for an inactive dental care provider are the same as those for an active provider, except an inactive renewal does not require completion of Continuing Education units.

What are the renewal requirements for a “first time” dental license renewal?

Dental care providers renewing their licenses for the first time do not need to complete Continuing Education (CE) units but must complete all other renewal requirements.

What are the Dental Board of California CE requirements?

To successfully complete active dental license renewal, dental professionals must complete the Continuing Education requirements listed above. CE requirements can be completed through enrollment in certified courses offered by a provider registered with the Dental Board of California.

If you are searching for a provider and have questions about whether the provider has a current registration with the Dental Board of California, call (916) 263-2300 or search the Dental Board of California’s website using the organization’s Approved Provider Lookup. Read on to learn more about Continuing Education Requirements for California dental licensure renewal.

• Continuing Education (CE) Requirements:

Note that licensees and permittees who are renewing their licenses for the first time are exempt from CE requirements. Following the first renewal, licensees/permittees must complete a minimum of 25 hours of continuing education, including:

• Basic Life Support (for a maximum of 4 CE units)
  • Per the Dental Board of California’s License Renewal page, Basic Life Support CE requirements “shall be met by completion of a [sic] American Heart Association or American Red Cross Course in Basic Life Support, or a BLS course taught by a provider approved by the American Dental Association’s Continuing Education Recognition Program or the Academy of General Dentistry’s Program Approval for Continuing Education.”
  • The Dental Board of California specifically stipulates that an online CPR course will not be accepted for the Basic Life Support CE requirement.
• (2) Hours of California Infection Control Coursework
• (2) Hours of California Dental Practice Act Coursework
• Per the Dental Board of California’s website, a recently-added in Business and Professions Code Section 1752.6 states in part that “A registered dental assistant licensed on and after January 1, 2010, shall provide evidence of successful completion of a board-approved course in the application of pit and fissure sealants prior to the first expiration date of his or her license that requires the completion of continuing education as a condition of renewal.”
• Thus, licensees and permittees must complete a registered pit and sealant course to meet current CE requirements for dental license/permit renewal.

The Dental Board of California stipulates that Infection Control and California Dental Practice Act coursework can be taken online through a Board-approved provider. However, the Board also stipulates that no more than 12.5 CE hours can be completed via online coursework or other non-live instruction. Interactive courses such as live lectures, live workshop demonstrations, and live video conferencing may be used for all of the required (CE) coursework except for the Basic Life Support course.

For more information on Dental Board of California license verification, license renewal, and Continuing Education requirements, visit the Dental Board of California’s License Renewal page.

Renew Your Active Dental License With Continuing Education Coursework at Howard Academy

If you are trying to renew your active dental license in the state of California and need to fulfill your Continuing Education requirements, our team here at Howard Academy can help. As one of Southern California’s premier dental education institutes, we proudly offer a wide range of accredited approved healthcare courses for medical and dental professionals.

Courses like our CPR Course, Infection Control/Dental Practice Act Course, and Pit and Fissure Sealants Course can be used to fulfill specific Continuing Education requirements needed for active dental license renewal for dental assistants, dental hygienists, dentists, and other dental professionals. Taught by the field’s top instructors in the industry’s finest educational facilities, our dental courses here at Howard Academy will give you the skills and knowledge you need to continue your dental education and renew your dental license.

Learn More and Enroll at Howard Academy

Interested in learning more about the Dental Board of California license verification and the Continuing Education requirements needed for active license renewal? Our healthcare experts at Howard Academy are here to help.

Contact us to speak with a team member directly and have your questions answered. Ready to enroll in one of our Standalone Certification Courses to meet your Continuing Education requirements for dental license renewal? Visit our Get Started page to enroll today!