Indiana State Board of Dentistry · DDS/DMD

20 hours. Every two years. On a license expiration mar1 even year cycle.

Below is exactly what Indiana State Board of Dentistry requires: mandatory topics, exemptions, accepted credit types, and documentation rules.

Updated May 2026Sourced from ISBD~5 min read

Reviewed by Doug Doehrman, MD · Last reviewed May 8, 2026

Mandatory topics

For Dentists, 20 hours is the total CME requirement. Indiana also requires a set of one-time topics that count toward the 20-hour total.

Professional Boundaries[1]
2 hrs
Biennial
Two-hour ethics, professional responsibility, and Indiana statutes/admin rules course required every license period. The two hours count within the 20-hour total and are not treated as practice management.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“continuing education credit must include two (2) hours which shall cover each of the following subjects: (1) Ethics. (2) Professional responsibility. (3) Indiana statutes and Indiana administrative rules governing the licensure and practice of dentists and dental hygienists.”
828 IAC 1-5-6(a)See source [1] in Primary Sources
Atlas CME tracks each of these mandatory topics against your Indiana cycle automatically. Start tracking free →
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.

ConditionalSedation[2]
5 hrs
Biennial

Dentists renewing a permit to administer general anesthesia, deep sedation, or light parenteral conscious sedation

View sourceVerbatim from source
“In order to renew a permit to administer general anesthesia, deep sedation, or light parenteral conscious sedation, a dentist shall obtain five (5) hours of continuing education in every license period in the area of anesthesia.”
828 IAC 3-1-7.5(a)See source [2] in Primary Sources
Accepted credit

Credit must come from an organization accredited by the ACCME, AMA, Indiana 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
Board-approved credit
min 10 hrs
At least half of the 20-hour requirement must be live presentations or live workshops. IPLA guidance says interactive webinars count toward live hours, while prerecorded self-study with no live interaction counts only as distance learning.SourceIC 25-14-3-8(a)[3]
Practice management courses
max 5 hrs
Practice-management CE is capped at 5 hours per license period.SourceIC 25-14-3-8(c)[3]
Dentist presentation credit
max 4 hrs
Dentist speaker/presentation credit is capped at 4 hours per license period when the statutory conditions are met.SourceIC 25-14-3-9(3)(E)[4]
ADA-sponsored study club materials
max 4 hrs
Study-club credit using films, audio, live presentations, or written materials sponsored by the American Dental Association is capped at 4 hours per license period.SourceIC 25-14-3-9(5)[4]
Approved organization CE
Indiana requires CE courses to be approved by an approved organization. IC 25-14-3-2 lists the American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, board-approved study clubs, government agencies, qualifying colleges, affiliated entities, and other board-approved organizations/individuals; it does not use ADA CERP or AGD PACE as the operative labels.SourceIC 25-14-3-4; IC 25-14-3-2[5]
Documentation & audit

Physicians are responsible for retaining CME documentation and producing it on request. Requirements include course title, dates, hours, sponsoring organization, and accrediting body.

Waivers & exemptions

The dentist CE chapter does not apply to a dentist who has held an initial license for less than two years.

The dentist CE chapter does not apply to a graduate student or person in a resident program offered by an approved organization.

The dentist CE chapter does not apply to a person determined by the Board to be unable to practice dentistry due to a disability.

The dentist CE chapter does not apply to a dentist granted inactive-license status.

A hardship waiver from all or part of the CE requirement may be available for qualifying military service, incapacitating illness or injury, or other board-determined circumstances.

FAQ
Does Indiana treat DDS and DMD differently for CE purposes?
No. Indiana licenses dentists under the same State Board of Dentistry framework regardless of whether the degree is DDS or DMD. The same 20-hour biennial total, live-hour minimum, ethics/rules course, exemptions, and permit-specific anesthesia CE rule apply by license status and permit status rather than degree title.
Are ADA CERP credits accepted in Indiana?
The current primary rule text does not use ADA CERP as the acceptance label. Indiana uses an approved-organization model. The statute lists the American Dental Association and the Academy of General Dentistry among approved organizations, but Atlas should not translate that into an unsupported blanket statement that all ADA CERP or AGD PACE credits are automatically accepted.
Are there mandatory CE topics for dentist renewal in Indiana?
Yes. Dentists who must complete CE need a two-hour course on ethics, professional responsibility, and Indiana statutes and administrative rules each license period. Dentists renewing a general anesthesia, deep sedation, or light parenteral conscious sedation permit also need five hours of anesthesia CE each license period; those five hours count within the 20-hour dentist CE total.
Are there exemptions from Indiana dentist CE?
Yes. Indiana Code 25-14-3-1 excludes dentists who have held an initial license for less than two years, graduate students or residents in qualifying approved programs, persons determined by the Board to be unable to practice because of disability, and dentists with inactive-license status. IPLA also describes a hardship-waiver pathway for qualifying circumstances.
Where can I check my Indiana dental license renewal date?
The Indiana Professional Licensing Agency maintains renewal and account services through mylicense.in.gov. The current IPLA Dentistry Licensing Information page is the best public starting point for Indiana State Board of Dentistry CE, renewal, anesthesia permit, audit, and reinstatement guidance.

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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. 828 IAC 1-5-6 - Continuing Education Course Requirement
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-05-08
    Show verbatim text
    “continuing education credit must include two (2) hours which shall cover each of the following subjects: (1) Ethics. (2) Professional responsibility. (3) Indiana statutes and Indiana administrative rules governing the licensure and practice of dentists and dental hygienists.”828 IAC 1-5-6(a)
  2. 828 IAC 3-1-7.5 - Renewal of Anesthesia Permit; Continuing Education
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-05-08
    Show verbatim text
    “In order to renew a permit to administer general anesthesia, deep sedation, or light parenteral conscious sedation, a dentist shall obtain five (5) hours of continuing education in every license period in the area of anesthesia.”828 IAC 3-1-7.5(a)
  3. Indiana Code 25-14-3 - Dentist Continuing Education
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-05-08
  4. https://iga.in.gov/laws/current/ic/titles/25/#25-14-3-9
    Source
  5. https://iga.in.gov/laws/current/ic/titles/25/#25-14-3-4
    Source

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 Indiana State 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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