Continuing Education Required in Georgia

Renewing Your License

For those dentists ready to renew their license, please visit the Georgia Board of Dentistry’s (Board) website at http://gbd.georgia.gov and click on the “Renew Online” option on the right side of the screen. Please share this information with any dental hygienists in your office so that these individuals will also be in compliance. Please note that online renewals can often be processed within hours of submission.

Helpful Tips: 
 
• The Georgia Board of Dentistry provides blanket approval for all CE provided by GDA and affiliated associations and societies. For a full list of approved CE providers see Board Rule 150-3-.09.
 
• Both dentists and dental hygienists may earn up to four credit hours for completion of the CPR course required by Georgia law. CPR courses offered by the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, the American Safety and Health Institute, National Safety Council, or EMS Safety Services are acceptable to the Board.

• Activities such as assisting the Board with investigations, teaching clinical dentistry, or administering clinical licensing exams may qualify for hours. Check Board Rule 150-3-.09 for details.

• Remember to maintain official documentation of course attendance for at least three years after the biennium during which the courses were taken. The Board is authorized to conduct audits to verify compliance with the continuing education requirements. If you are selected to undergo an audit, you will need to produce official documentation of course attendance.

• Licenses expire after December 31, 2025. If a licensee fails to renew by that date, the renewal fee increases.  

• If a licensee has submitted a complete renewal application by December 31, 2021, the licensee’s license status online will change from “active” to “active-renewal pending.” This does not mean that the license has lapsed, is inactive, is deficient, or invalid in any way. This reflects that the licensee has submitted a timely renewal application. Please save the receipt generated after submission of a timely and complete application as additional proof of renewal during the period in which the application is reviewed.

• All dentists and dental hygienists seeking renewal this year are again required to submit census data with their renewal application. This was first required with the 2013 renewal cycle. All dentists and dental hygienists must complete and provide a census questionnaire and submit the completed questionnaire to the Board’s email address: dentistry@dch.ga.gov. The census form is available in the “Forms” section of the Board of Dentistry website. Completion of an Affidavit of Citizenship is not required unless a dentist or dental hygienist did not submit this affidavit previously.

• CE requirements do apply within the first two years that a dentist is licensed in Georgia. However, a newly licensed dentist may submit as their CE hours proof of dental coursework taken within the previous two years of the date of the renewal application from their accredited dental educational institution.

Should you have questions about licensure renewal, please contact the Board of Dentistry at (404) 651-8000.