Complete your Arizona dental continuing education requirements with convenient live online webinars from ACES.
Arizona Dental CE Requirements at a Glance
Arizona Dental Continuing Education Requirements
Arizona dentists and dental hygienists must complete continuing education during each 3-year renewal cycle in order to maintain an active license.
Arizona dentists must complete 63 hours of recognized continuing dental education, while dental hygienists must complete 45 hours.
Arizona limits the number of hours that may be completed through self-study. Dentists may claim no more than 21 self-study hours, while dental hygienists may claim no more than 15 self-study hours.
Live interactive webinar courses are treated differently from self-study coursework, making ACES a convenient option for Arizona dental professionals who want to complete CE remotely while participating in real-time instruction.
Arizona Dentist Continuing Education Requirements
Arizona dentists must complete 63 hours of recognized continuing dental education during each 3-year renewal period.
Required coursework includes:
- 3 Hours Opioid Education: Dentists must complete at least 3 hours of opioid education.
- 3 Hours Infection Control: At least 3 hours must cover infectious diseases or infectious disease control.
- 3 Hours CPR / ACLS / PALS: Dentists must complete at least 3 hours in healthcare-provider-level CPR, Advanced Cardiac Life Support or Pediatric Advanced Life Support. Online coursework is permitted only when the course includes a physical demonstration of skills.
- 3 Hours Ethics or Arizona Jurisprudence: Dentists must complete at least 3 hours in ethics or Arizona dental jurisprudence.
At least 36 of the 63 required hours must be completed in qualifying clinical, scientific or patient-care-related subjects such as dental diagnosis, treatment planning, clinical procedures, pain management, medical emergencies, preventive services and dental sciences.
No more than 21 hours may be claimed as self-study continuing education.
Arizona Dental Hygienist Continuing Education Requirements
Arizona dental hygienists must complete 45 hours of recognized continuing dental education during each 3-year renewal period.
Required coursework includes:
- 3 Hours Infection Control: At least 3 hours must cover infectious diseases or infectious disease control.
- 3 Hours CPR / ACLS / PALS: Dental hygienists must complete at least 3 hours in healthcare-provider-level CPR, Advanced Cardiac Life Support or Pediatric Advanced Life Support. Online coursework is permitted only when the course includes a physical demonstration of skills.
- 3 Hours in a Required Professional Topic: At least 3 hours must be completed in one or more of the following: chemical dependency, tobacco cessation, ethics, risk management or Arizona dental jurisprudence.
At least 25 of the 45 required hours must be completed in qualifying clinical or dental-hygiene-related subjects such as periodontal disease, implant care, radiology, pain management, medical emergencies, dental recordkeeping and new concepts in dental hygiene.
No more than 15 hours may be claimed as self-study continuing education.
Arizona Infection Control Continuing Education Requirement
Arizona dentists and dental hygienists must complete at least 3 hours of continuing education in infectious diseases or infectious disease control during each renewal period.
Because ACES courses are 3 CE hours, a qualifying 3-hour infection control webinar can make it easy to complete the Arizona infection control requirement in a single live course.
View Infection Control CoursesAdditional Arizona CE Requirement for Botox and Dermal Fillers
Arizona dentists and dental hygienists who provide botulinum toxin type A or dermal fillers to patients must complete at least 12 hours of didactic or clinical training related to those procedures during each applicable renewal cycle.
These 12 hours are included within the professional's regular CE requirement rather than added on top of the 63 hours required for dentists or 45 hours required for dental hygienists.
Accepted Continuing Education Formats in Arizona
Arizona recognizes a variety of continuing education formats, including live classroom courses, seminars and qualifying online education.
The Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners distinguishes between live or virtual participation and self-study coursework. Self-study is limited to 21 hours for dentists and 15 hours for dental hygienists.
ACES live online webinars provide real-time instructor-led education and interaction, allowing Arizona dentists and dental hygienists to complete CE remotely without relying exclusively on self-study courses.
Arizona's definition of recognized continuing dental education includes qualifying courses sponsored by an ADA CERP recognized provider. ACES is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider.
Why Arizona Dental Professionals Choose ACES
Arizona Dental License Renewal
Arizona dentists and dental hygienists renew their licenses every three years based on the licensee's birth month.
A complete renewal application and renewal fee must be submitted to the Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners on or before the last day of the licensee's birth month during the applicable renewal year.
The license expires 30 days after the licensee's birth month if it has not been renewed.
Because Arizona professionals renew throughout the year rather than on one statewide date, it is important to know your individual renewal year and birth-month deadline.
Complete Your Arizona Dental CE Requirements Early
Waiting until your birth-month renewal deadline to complete continuing education can make it more difficult to find the courses you need, particularly when specific topics such as infection control, opioid education or ethics are still outstanding.
ACES offers live webinar courses throughout the year, allowing Arizona dentists and dental hygienists to spread out CE hours and complete requirements on a schedule that works for them.
What Happens if You Do Not Complete Arizona CE Requirements?
Arizona licensees must attest to completion of the required continuing education when renewing their dental or dental hygiene license.
If required CE cannot be completed before the renewal deadline, the Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners allows licensees to request a continuing education extension. The extension request must be submitted with the renewal application on or before the applicable birth-month deadline.
Arizona dentists and dental hygienists should also maintain documentation of completed CE courses for the most recently completed renewal period in case they are selected for an audit.
Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners
For the most current Arizona dental continuing education requirements and licensing information, visit the Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners.
Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners
dentalboard.az.gov
Frequently Asked Questions
How many continuing education hours do Arizona dentists need?
Arizona dentists must complete 63 hours of recognized continuing dental education during each 3-year renewal cycle.
How many continuing education hours do Arizona dental hygienists need?
Arizona dental hygienists must complete 45 hours of recognized continuing dental education during each 3-year renewal cycle.
When do Arizona dental licenses renew?
Arizona dentists and dental hygienists renew every three years based on their birth month. The renewal application and fee must be submitted on or before the last day of the licensee's birth month during the applicable renewal year.
Does Arizona accept live online webinar CE courses?
Yes. Arizona recognizes qualifying live and virtual continuing education, including courses provided by ADA CERP recognized providers such as ACES.
Is there a limit on self-study CE hours in Arizona?
Yes. Dentists may claim no more than 21 self-study hours during each renewal cycle, and dental hygienists may claim no more than 15 self-study hours.
Does Arizona require infection control training?
Yes. Arizona dentists and dental hygienists must complete at least 3 hours of continuing education in infectious diseases or infectious disease control during each renewal period.
Does Arizona require CPR continuing education?
Yes. Dentists and dental hygienists must complete at least 3 hours in healthcare-provider-level CPR, ACLS or PALS. Online coursework is allowed only when the course requires a physical demonstration of skills.
Do Arizona dentists need opioid education?
Yes. Arizona dentists must complete at least 3 hours of opioid education during each renewal period.
Are there special CE requirements for Botox or dermal fillers?
Yes. Arizona dentists and dental hygienists who provide botulinum toxin type A or dermal fillers must complete at least 12 hours of didactic or clinical training related to those procedures during the applicable renewal period. These hours count toward the professional's overall CE requirement.
Important: Licensing requirements can change at any time. While ACES makes every effort to keep this information accurate and current, licensees are responsible for confirming continuing education requirements with the Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners.