Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — Board of Dentistry · DDS/DMD

48 hours. Every three years. On a license expiration sep30 every 3 years cycle.

Below is exactly what Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — Board of Dentistry requires: mandatory topics, exemptions, accepted credit types, and documentation rules.

Updated May 2026Sourced from IDFPR(—BD~7 min read

Compiled by Atlas CME from official board sources · Last updated May 8, 2026

Mandatory topics

For Dentists, 48 hours is the total CME requirement. Illinois also requires a set of one-time topics that count toward the 48-hour total.

Implicit Bias[1]
1 hr
Triennial
68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.500 (Part 1130, universal IDFPR rule) requires a 1-hour implicit bias awareness course and expressly enumerates "Dentist" in the list of licenses subject to it (subsection (b)(8)). The binding clause: "shall complete a one-hour course in implicit bias awareness training." Completion is a condition of renewing the license and must be repeated each subsequent renewal period (1130.500(i)); for Illinois dentists that is the triennial renewal cycle. Counts toward the 48-hour total. Effective for renewals on or after January 1, 2023.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“8)         Dentist;”
68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.500(b)(8)See source [1] in Primary Sources
Cultural Competency & Health Equity[2]
1 hr
Custom
68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.525 (Part 1130, universal IDFPR rule) requires a 1-hour cultural competency course and expressly enumerates "Dentist" in the list of licenses subject to it (subsection (b)(26)). The binding clause: "shall complete a one-hour course in cultural competency." Required once every six years; effective for the first applicable renewal on or after January 1, 2025 (1130.525(g)). Distinct from implicit bias. Counts toward the 48-hour total.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“26)       Dentist;”
68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.525(b)(26)See source [2] in Primary Sources
Professional Boundaries & Conduct[3]
1 hr
Triennial
68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.400 (Part 1130, universal IDFPR rule) requires a 1-hour sexual harassment prevention course of "All persons who hold a professional license issued by the Division and are subject to a continuing education requirement" — Illinois dentists are subject to the 48-hour CE requirement, so the rule applies. Completion is a condition of renewing the license and must be repeated each subsequent renewal period (1130.400(g)); for dentists that is the triennial cycle. Counts toward the 48-hour total.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“All<br>persons who hold a professional license issued by the Division and are subject<br>to a continuing education requirement shall complete a one-hour course in<br>sexual harassment prevention training.”
68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.400(a) (as amended at 50 Ill. Reg. 8067, eff. June 1, 2026 — scope and repeat-each-renewal condition unchanged by that amendment)See source [3] in Primary Sources
CPR / BLS[4]
Hrs vary
Triennial
Illinois dentists must provide proof of current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification intended for health care providers at the time of renewal. There is no fixed hour count for this requirement — it is a certification-current condition of renewal, not an hours-based CE mandate. BLS training itself is capped, not required, for CE credit: no more than 4 hours per licensure period may count toward the 48-hour CE total under Section 16.1. The Department provides a physical-disability exemption from the BLS requirement by rule.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“A dentist or dental hygienist shall provide proof of current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification intended for health care providers at the time of renewal as provided by rule.”
225 ILCS 25/16 (current text, source line P.A. 103-687, eff. 7-19-24; 104-151, eff. 1-1-26)See source [4] in Primary Sources
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Conditional requirements

These rules apply only when the trigger described under each card is met (for example, holding a state-issued controlled substance registration or treating a specific patient population). Each cites the underlying statute or rule directly.

ConditionalControlled Substance Prescribing[5]
1 hr
Triennial

Dentists who hold an Illinois Controlled Substances Registration

View sourceVerbatim from source
“every prescriber who is licensed to prescribe controlled<br>substances shall, during the pre-renewal period, complete one hour of continuing education on safe opioid<br>prescribing practices”
720 ILCS 570/315.5 (1 hr per P.A. 103-531 is current)See source [5] in Primary Sources
Accepted credit

Credit must come from an organization accredited by the ACCME, AMA, Illinois Medical Association, or AAFP. ACGME residency or fellowship time accrues toward the requirement. Teaching or presenting accredited CME can satisfy a portion of required hours.

Credit systemNotes
ADA CERP
ADA and National Dental Association programs, their constituent/component associations, and ADA CERP are expressly listed approved CE sponsors.Source68 Ill. Admin. Code § 1220.440(b)(2)(A)[6]
AGD PACE
Academy of General Dentistry programs, constituent/component associations, and approved sponsors are expressly listed approved CE sponsors.Source68 Ill. Admin. Code § 1220.440(b)(2)(E)[6]
Board-approved credit
Illinois accepts verifiable attendance at approved CE courses relevant to treatment and care of patients, including the enumerated sponsor categories in 68 IAC 1220.440(b)(2).Source68 Ill. Admin. Code § 1220.440(b)(2)[6]
Correspondence / individual study
max 24 hrs
Correspondence, audio, video, or other individual-study CE from an approved sponsor is capped at 50% of the 48-hour dentist requirement, or 24 hours per prerenewal period.Source68 Ill. Admin. Code § 1220.440(b)(3)[6]
Teaching CE
max 24 hrs
Teaching approved CE is capped at 50% of the 48-hour dentist requirement, or 24 hours per prerenewal period, and credit applies only to the first presentation.Source68 Ill. Admin. Code § 1220.440(b)(6)[6]
Volunteer community oral health education
max 2 hrs
Volunteer community oral health education presentations are capped at 2 hours per prerenewal period.Source68 Ill. Admin. Code § 1220.440(b)(7)[6]
Documentation & audit

Records must be retained for at least 5 years following the renewal period.

Waivers & exemptions

First-renewal CE exemption — no CE required for the first renewal following original issuance of an Illinois dental or dental hygienist license.

FAQ
Are first-time renewals exempt from CE in Illinois?
Yes. 68 IAC 1220.440(a)(4) explicitly exempts the first renewal following original issuance of a dental or dental hygienist license: "A renewal applicant is not required to comply with CE requirements for the first renewal following the original issuance of a dental or dental hygienist license." The 48-hour obligation starts at the second triennial renewal.
Does Illinois treat DDS and DMD differently for CE purposes?
No. The Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) and Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degrees are equivalent in Illinois, and IDFPR licenses both under the Illinois Dental Practice Act (225 ILCS 25). The same 48-hour triennial CE obligation and the same September 30 renewal deadline apply to every Illinois dentist regardless of degree title.
Are ADA CERP credits accepted in Illinois?
Yes — explicitly. 68 IAC 1220.440(b)(2)(A) and (E) list ADA CERP and AGD-approved sponsors (AGD PACE) by name as approved CE sponsors. The rule also accepts ADA, ADHA, accredited dental schools, JCAHO-accredited hospitals, the AHA and ACS, the AMA/ACCME, and federal/state government agency CE.
Can I do all my Illinois dental CE online?
No. 68 IAC 1220.440(b)(3) caps correspondence and individual study (asynchronous self-study courses, including audio and video) at 50% of the required 48 hours per prerenewal period. Teaching CE is similarly capped at 50%. Volunteer community oral health education programs are capped at 2 hours per cycle. The remainder must be earned through live or interactive courses from an approved sponsor.
Are there mandatory CE topics for dentist renewal in Illinois?
68 IAC 1220.440 imposes no mandatory subject carve-outs at the general dentist level — no dental-rule opioid, infection control, abuse reporting, jurisprudence, or sexual harassment carve-outs. Dentists holding an Illinois Controlled Substances Registration must complete 1 hour of safe opioid prescribing CE per CSR pre-renewal period under 720 ILCS 570/315.5. Separately, the licensing statute (225 ILCS 25/16) requires proof of current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification at renewal — no fixed hour count, and BLS training itself is capped at 4 hours per licensure period toward the 48-hour CE total. DEA-registered dentists are also subject to the federal MATE Act 8-hour SUD training as a separate federal obligation. Illinois operates a separate Sexual Harassment Prevention training requirement under the Department of Human Rights (Public Act 101-0221) — confirm current scope and hour count directly with IDHR. Sedation permit holders satisfy permit-tier CE under 68 IAC Part 1220's sedation provisions.
Where can I check my Illinois dental license renewal date?
IDFPR maintains license verification at online-dfpr.micropact.com/Lookup/LicenseLookup.aspx. The IDFPR Dental Professions page at idfpr.illinois.gov/profs/dentist.html displays current CE requirements and renewal information. Licenses expire September 30 every three years.

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Other roles in Illinois

Dentists (DDS/DMD) CME requirements in other states

Sources & Citations

Every mandatory topic and conditional requirement above cites the underlying statute or rule. Numbered references below correspond to the bracketed citations next to each requirement.

  1. https://www.ilga.gov/ftp/JCAR/AdminCode/068/068011300E05000R.html
    Source
    Show verbatim text
    “8)         Dentist;”68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.500(b)(8)
  2. https://www.ilga.gov/ftp/JCAR/AdminCode/068/068011300E05250R.html
    Source
    Show verbatim text
    “26)       Dentist;”68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.525(b)(26)
  3. https://www.ilga.gov/ftp/JCAR/AdminCode/068/068011300E04000R.html
    Source
    Show verbatim text
    “All<br>persons who hold a professional license issued by the Division and are subject<br>to a continuing education requirement shall complete a one-hour course in<br>sexual harassment prevention training.”68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.400(a) (as amended at 50 Ill. Reg. 8067, eff. June 1, 2026 — scope and repeat-each-renewal condition unchanged by that amendment)
  4. https://ilga.gov/documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/072500250K16.htm
    Source
    Show verbatim text
    “A dentist or dental hygienist shall provide proof of current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification intended for health care providers at the time of renewal as provided by rule.”225 ILCS 25/16 (current text, source line P.A. 103-687, eff. 7-19-24; 104-151, eff. 1-1-26)
  5. 720 ILCS 570/315.5 - Safe Opioid Prescribing CE
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-05-13
    Show verbatim text
    “every prescriber who is licensed to prescribe controlled<br>substances shall, during the pre-renewal period, complete one hour of continuing education on safe opioid<br>prescribing practices”720 ILCS 570/315.5 (1 hr per P.A. 103-531 is current) · Effective 2025-01-01
  6. 68 Ill. Admin. Code Part 1220, Section 1220.440 — Continuing Education
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-05-08

This page is provided for general educational purposes and reflects the best available information as of the last reviewed date above. CE requirements change. Atlas CME is not affiliated with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — Board of Dentistry, or any other state dental board, licensing authority, or professional organization. Dentists are solely responsible for verifying their own current CE requirements directly with their state dental board before relying on any information presented here.

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