Overview & Guidelines

Requirements

Dentists

Dentists must earn 100 hours of continuing education in every 5-year CE cycle. Fifty (50) of those hours must be academic. Dentists must maintain a current cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) card. A dentist must complete a CPR course that is intended for a Healthcare Provider, meets the required knowledge and objectives outlined in the American Heart Association guidelines for BLS or American Heart Association Guidelines for CPR and ECC, and includes a hands-on skills assessment. A Dentist holding a general anesthesia and deep sedation or moderate sedation permit must have a current Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) or Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) card from the American Heart Association. See the CPR requirements in the CE guidelines below. A Dentist holding a general anesthesia and deep sedation or moderate sedation permit must complete an additional 25 hours of continuing education in anesthesia related topics for each five-year licensure cycle.

Dental Hygienists

Dental Hygienists must earn 75 hours of continuing education in every 5-year CE cycle. A Dental Hygienist must have documented at least five hours of continuing education in dental radiography in a five-year period. Dental Hygienists must maintain a current cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) card. A dental hygienist must complete a CPR course that is intended for a Healthcare Provider, meets the required knowledge and objectives outlined in the American Heart Association guidelines for BLS or American Heart Association Guidelines for CPR and ECC, and includes a hands-on skills assessment. See the CPR requirements in the CE guidelines below.

Registered Dental Assistants (Expanded Functions)

Registered Dental Assistants must earn 60 hours of continuing education in every 5-year CE cycle. A person who is certified in dental radiography must have documented at least five hours of continuing education in dental radiography in a five-year period. Registered Dental Assistants must maintain a current cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) card. A registered dental assistant must complete a CPR course that is intended for a Healthcare Provider, meets the required knowledge and objectives outlined in the American Heart Association guidelines for BLS or American Heart Association Guidelines for CPR and ECC, and includes a hands-on skills assessment. See the CPR requirements in the CE guidelines below.

Dental Radiographers

Dental Radiographers are required to earn 5 hours of continuing education in dental radiography in every 5-year CE cycle.

Continuing Education Categories

Academic

Dentists must complete a minimum of 50 hours in a 5-year CE cycle

Dentists are the only practitioners required to obtain academic hours. Dental hygienists and registered dental assistants who attend academic continuing education should submit those courses in the clinical category.

Academic hours must directly relate to the provision of clinical dental services and meet one of the following criteria: The course must be taken physically at a dental school accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), the course presenter must be affiliated with a dental school accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), the provider organization must be approved by the American Dental Association Continuing Education Recognition Program (CERP), or the provider organization must be approved by the Academy of General Dentistry Program Approval For Continuing Education (PACE). 

Home Study

Limited to 30 hours maximum in a 5-year CE cycle

Home study courses or lectures completed on one’s own time without leaving your home or office. You must demonstrate your participation and knowledge of the course or lecture through a certificate of completion from the continuing education provider. Home study continuing education includes online continuing education courses or courses offered via videotape or CD. If you take the same home study course more than one time during your 5-year cycle, you will only receive credit for one course. You cannot receive credit for the same home study course more than one time during your 5-year CE cycle.

If the course you are taking utilizes technology in any way that is interactive, you may consider that course to fall under the appropriate category- Clinical, Radiography, Practice Management, etc. This includes all courses that are conducted with an instructor via webinar, Skype, Zoom, Go To Meeting or other technology that allows for participant interaction.  If your course consists of a DVD or video that you view and does not include the ability to interact or ask questions of the instructor, this should be entered as Home Study.

CPR

Limited to 15 hours maximum in a 5-year CE cycle

Being certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a requirement for all dentists, dental hygienists, and registered dental assistants. All such licensees/registrants must maintain a current CPR card. The Board has approved CPR courses that are intended for a Healthcare Provider, meet the required knowledge and objectives outlined in the American Heart Association guidelines for BLS or American Heart Association Guidelines for CPR and ECC, and include a hands-on skills assessment. You do not have to take a refresher course every year; just keep your certification current. Credit for CPR courses is hour for hour.  Dentists holding a general anesthesia and deep sedation or moderate sedation permit may submit an Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) or Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) card from the American Heart Association to satisfy the CPR requirement.  The Board of Dentistry will recognize hours taken for a certified paramedic, certified emergency medical technician and advanced certified life support in the CPR category with the applied 15 hour limit. 

Please log into your account to update your CPR card.  Updating your CPR or ACLS Card information will not add this course to your Continuing Education Record. If you would like Continuing Education hours, you must go to  Add Continuing Education and add this course to your Continuing Education Record as "CE Type: CPR".

Practice Management

Limited to 10 hours maximum in a 5-year CE cycle

Practice management courses or lectures are taken to benefit oneself for personal or professional gain or enhancing the business aspects of dentistry. Courses and lectures include, but are not limited to, practice management, dental ethics, risk management, stress management, communication skills, office ergonomics, HIPAA, domestic violence, etc. Completion of a college business or college computer-business class will be accepted for 10 hours of practice management if the class included at least 10 hours of lecture or class time.

Nutrition

Limited to 15 hours maximum in a 5-year CE cycle

Nutrition courses or lectures include topics of dental nutrition. These topics included, but are not limited to, diet, exercise, dental nutrition, and health issues affecting dental health (ex. Anorexia nervosa, bulimia, etc.)

Clinical

Unlimited

Clinical courses or lectures are presented by an instructor who is not affiliated with a CODA accredited university or do not meet the criteria for Academic continuing education. These courses or lectures emphasize practitioner to patient contact. Examples include, but are not limited to latest techniques in dentistry, clinical courses, specialties, OSHA/infection control, etc. Courses presented by colleagues or other presenters providing an in-office presentation should obtain prior course approval from the Board.

Radiography

Dental Hygienist and Radiographers must have a minimum of 5 hours of radiography courses in a 5-year CE cycle.  Limited to 20 hours maximum in a 5-year CE cycle.

Radiography topics can include radiation safety, equipment operation, film processing, emergency procedures, anatomy and positioning of relevant procedures, radiographic quality assurance, correcting and identifying technique and processing errors, and recognition and identification of radiographic information, such as procedures for enhancing interpretation of radiographic information including disease. Home study radiography courses are allowed.  However, if you take the same home study course more than one time during your 5-year CE cycle, you will only receive credit for one course. You cannot receive credit for the same home study course more than one time during your 5-year CE cycle.

Anesthesia/Sedation

Dentists holding a general anesthesia and deep sedation or moderate sedation permit must complete an additional 25 hours of continuing education in anesthesia related topics for each five-year licensure cycle.

A Board approved anesthesia inspector is eligible for two hours of anesthesia related continuing education for each anesthesia inspection completed with a maximum of ten hours per continuing education cycle.

Dentists holding a general anesthesia and deep sedation or moderate sedation permit may claim 4 hours of anesthesia related continuing education for each ACLS or PALS certification completed and may claim a maximum of 8 hours per continuing education cycle (i.e. 2 ACLS certification courses).

Other Continuing Education Guidelines

Clinical – Exhibits (State, Regional or National Meetings/Conventions)

Hour for hour up to five (5) hours of Clinical-Exhibits CE may be earned for attendance at the exhibits and meetings at a state, regional or national meeting/convention up to twenty-five (25) hours per 5 year CE cycle.

Clinical – Course (table clinics of a state, regional or national meetings/conventions)

One (1) hour Clinical-Course CE may be earned for each attendance at the table clinics of a state, regional or national meeting/convention.

Examiners

CRDTS and other Regional Board Examiners are allowed five (5) hours Academic CE per year in the area of the exam for which he/she calibrates. If a CRDTS examiner calibrates in all three different areas (restorative, periodontal, and clinic floor) of the exam, he/she may earn the five (5) hours for each area and therefore up to fifteen (15) hours per year.

Clinical - Volunteer Services

Up to thirty (30) hours of Clinical-Volunteer CE may be earned per 5 year CE cycle for volunteer service with:

  • Delta Dental Mobile Program
  • Donated Dental Services (DDS) programs
  • Sanford Children’s Hospital: Cleft Lip & Palate Clinic
  • Christina’s Smile Care Mobile
  • Examinations for troops before deployment
  • St. Francis Mission Dental Clinic
  • Sioux Empire Smiles
  • Chanku Waste Dental

Clinical-Volunteer CE may be earned for other volunteer activities that involve direct patient care with approval from the Board.

The Board will not approve oral health or oral health career presentations given to elementary and secondary students for continuing education credit. These types of presentations are considered community service.

Teleconference or Live Webcast Courses

Teleconference or live webcast courses may fall under the categories of Clinical, Academic, Practice Management, or Radiography depending on the instructor’s credentials and the content of the course.

Class Instruction/Attendance

Dentists, dental hygienists and registered dental assistants teaching seminar classes may have their seminar teaching hours allowed as Clinical CE after completing the CE Course Approval Form and providing a course outline and biography for Board approval. Hour for hour credit will be allowed for instruction of the course as a one-time credit per course during the 5-year cycle. An in-office presentation to dental hygienists and registered dental assistants by another dental professional may be allowed as Clinical CE. You must submit the CE Course Approval Form and provide a course outline and biography of the presenter for Board approval.

Class instruction and/or class attendance at a CODA accredited dental school may be allowed as Academic CE. You must provide an outline of teaching content and obtain Board approval. Hour for hour credit may be given for class instruction and /or class attendance up to one half of the required hours during the 5-year cycle. For example, a maximum of 50 hours for dentists, 38 hours for hygienists, and 30 hours for registered dental assistants is allowed.

Upon request, if a licensed practitioner attends an accredited dental or dental hygiene school full time or is completing a specialty or general practice residency while licensed with the Board, the required continuing education credits may be waived for the time period that the licensee is attending the accredited dental or dental hygiene school or completing a specialty or general practice residency.

In Office Instruction

In office classes presented to staff by the in office Dentist are allowed. The Board requires prior approval by submitting the CE Course Approval Form.

Digital Software Courses: In office instruction and training of hygienists and registered dental assistants in digital x-rays by digital software professional trainers may be allowed partly as Radiography CE and partly as Practice Management CE. You must complete the CE Course Approval Form and provide a course outline and the Board will determine the number of hours to be applied in each category.

Practice Management Software Courses: In office instruction and training of dental hygienists and registered dental assistants in practice management software by the professional trainers may be allowed as Practice Management CE. You must complete the CE Course Approval Form and provide a course outline and the Board will determine the number of hours to be applied in each category.

Specialty Dental Practice/Laboratory: Instruction of a dental hygienist or registered dental assistant at another specialty dental practice or dental laboratory in order to perform new procedures and tasks, not previously performed, may be allowed as Clinical CE. You must complete the CE Course Approval Form and provide a course outline and the Board will determine the number of hours to be applied in each category. The Board recommends the specialty dental practice submit the CE Course Approval Form and course outline for prior approval.

Miscellaneous

The Board will not approve continuing education classes on the subject of animal dentistry, as the Board issues licenses to dentists performing dental services on humans per SDCL 36-6A-32.

The Board generally recognizes continuing education providers certified through the American Dental Association Continuing Education Recognition Program (ADA CERP), the Academy of General Dentistry Program Approval for Continuing Education (AGD PACE) and the American Academy of Dental Hygiene as valid continuing education providers. 

Courses that have been approved are listed on the Approved CE Calendar, which you can access in your account by logging in to your account through the Board of Dentistry web site.

The Board determines whether a continuing education course will be approved and the category each course will fall under.  If you are uncertain about approval and/or what category a continuing education course will fall under, please contact the South Dakota State Board of Dentistry office.

Page Updated: 6/8/2023 12:16:13 PM