Licensure in Iowa is issued and monitored by the Iowa Dental Board.

Continuing Education Requirements

• Iowa Dental Hygiene licensees shall complete 30 hours of approved continuing education between September 1, 2017 and August 30, 2019. These continuing education courses may be completed in person, online, or via other self-study options.  Please keep in mind, there is a limit of 12 hours every renewal period, for all self-study courses.  Participation in live webinars, wherein participants can interact in real time via instant messaging or over phone with the instructor, is not considered self-study.  Watching a webinar, which was previously recorded and available on demand, would be considered self-study.

• A licensee must prove valid certification for CPR for each year covered by the license renewal period.

• Beginning September 1, 2018, all licensed dentists, dental hygienists, and registered dental assistants will be required to complete a minimum of 1 hour of continuing education in the area of Iowa jurisprudence, and a minimum of 1 hour in the area of infection control standards, as established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  To renew on active status, dental hygienists and dental assistants will need to report these hours beginning with the 2019 renewal.

• As of 2019, Licensees shall complete training relating to the identification and reporting of child abuse and dependent adult abuse every 3 years. Up to three hours of educational credit may be awarded for taking a combined course.

An approved sponsor of continuing education may offer topics that the Iowa Dental Board has NOT approved. Also, other states may offer courses their Dental Boards approve but Iowa does not. You may need to check before registering for a course if you intend to use the continuing education hours for re-licensure in Iowa. A list of Iowa Dental Board approved speakers is available at https://dentalboard.iowa.gov/practitioners/continuing-education/approved-infection-control-jurisprudence-courses.

Unacceptable subject matter includes personal development, business aspects of practice, personnel management, government regulations, insurance, collective bargaining and community service presentations. While desirable, these subjects are not applicable to dental skills, knowledge, and competence. 

For further information on what are approved subject matters, programs and/or activities, contact the Iowa Dental Board at 1-515-281-5157.

REMINDER: You must report any change of name and/or address to your licensing board. In Iowa that is the Iowa Dental Board at 1-515-281-5157. This is your legal responsibility. 

Click here to access information on the public health supervision collaborative agreements

For specific questions please contact the Board directly:

Iowa Dental Board
Melanie Johnson, J.D., Executive Director
400 SW 8th Street
Suite D
Des Moines, IA 50309-4687
ibde@iowa.gov
www.dentalboard.iowa.gov