Illinois Dental CE Requirements

• Total Hours: 48 hours every three years.
• Individual Study: Up to 24 hours may be completed through self-study activities, including reading dental journals, attending webinars, or completing approved online courses.
• Anesthesia Topics: 9 hours are required for dentists holding an Illinois Dental Anesthesia/Sedation permit.
• Safe Opioid Prescribing Practices: 3 hours are mandatory for all licensees who are mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect.

• Self-study (journals, webinars, online dental CE courses).
• Live in-person CE courses and seminars.
• Participation in specialty-specific educational programs and workshops.

• All CE credits must be earned through providers approved by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR).
• CE activities must directly relate to the practice of dentistry.
• Dentists must maintain CE certificates and records for a minimum of three years.

• The flexible 24-hour self-study allowance helps accommodate busy schedules.
• The 9-hour anesthesia CE applies only to sedation permit holders.
• The 3-hour opioid prescribing CE is required for all dentists regardless of anesthesia permit status.

Effective in 2025, Illinois has expanded the scope of practice for qualified dental assistants. Dental assistants may now perform coronal scaling procedures above the gumline under specific conditions.

Key details of this new law include:

• Assistants must complete 2,000 hours of clinical dental assisting experience.
• Assistants must graduate from a 32-hour board-approved coronal scaling course.
• Assistants must pass a clinical skills examination post-training.
• Scaling is limited to patients who:
  • Are under 18 years old,
  • Are uninsured or Medicaid-eligible,
  • Have no periodontal disease or only mild, reversible gingivitis,
  • Belong to a household earning ≤ 300% of the federal poverty level.
• Direct supervision is required: the supervising dentist must be physically present and must check all scaling work before patient dismissal.

This initiative aims to expand access to preventive care while maintaining strict safeguards for patient safety.

• Plan your CE schedule early within the three-year cycle to avoid last-minute rushes.
• Select self-study courses that align with your clinical practice interests.
• Ensure any anesthesia- or opioid-related CE courses meet state-specific regulations.
• Maintain organized digital and physical copies of all CE certificates for easy audit preparation.