IMPORTANT REMINDER

In an effort to combat the opioid epidemic, dentists are required by law to have two of their 30 CE hours be in the topic of responsible prescribing of controlled substances for the treatment of acute dental pain. A new requirement put in place for the 2019 and 2021 licensure periods. Regardless of dental specialty, this requirement applies to all dentists in the state of Wisconsin.

Please see below for applicable courses, taking note of the amount of credit hours granted for each:

In addition to the above FREE MUSoD course and Boston University webinar, these online courses are available for a fee and are eligible for CE credit:

“Being a Medicaid Provider in an Era of Accountability”

A free presentation by the American Dental Association

Course Description: Despite misconceptions and fears associated with being a Medicaid provider, treating this population can be rewarding and not cut adversely into your bottom line. Members of the ADA’s Council on Advocacy for Access and Prevention (CAAP) Medicaid Provider Advisory Committee will share insights, opportunities and challenges regarding program integrity, compliance, fraud, advocacy and how better to safeguard your practice while providing care to this growing population in an era of increasing accountability and scrutiny. Special emphasis will be given to the importance of proper documentation of medical necessity.

Watch recording
Passcode (must type, do not copy and paste): EoZ*b.3H

 

DEB approved training for administering vaccinations

The Wisconsin Dentistry Examining Board has approved programming that satisfy the eight hours of training required under the newly passed, WDA-led legislation expanding the dental scope of practice to include administration of COVID and influenza vaccines.

The approved trainings are:

Upon completion of training, eight hours total, please retain documentation. Per the DEB, you do not need to submit documentation, but must be able to produce proof of completion if requested.

Overview/CE information

Prior to October 1 of odd-numbered years, Wisconsin dentists and dental hygienists must renew their licenses. Wisconsin dentists and hygienists must renew their licenses by Sept. 30, 2021. The Dentistry Examining Board expects licensees to complete a licensure renewal form and attest that they have completed the required hours (30 for dentists and 12 for dental hygienists) of continuing education (CE) for that two-year licensure period and have a current certificate of proficiency in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillators.

If audited, licensees must present proof of completion. Licensees are responsible for keeping evidence of their CE activities for six years and should diligently maintain CE information and records.

CE Folder

The WDA offers a CE tracking form for your mandatory credits. Both dentists and dental hygienists may utilize CE tracking forms created by WDA staff to keep a record of your completed courses. Download here:

Dentists are required to obtain and keep the actual certificates of completion for all CE courses they’ve completed. These certificates should be maintained by the dentist for a period of no less than six years.*

It is critical that dentists and dental hygienists retain completion certifications for at least six years as proof that they obtained the required hours of CE (30 for dentists and 12 for dental hygienists) during a given two-year licensure period.

A Wisconsin psychologist surrendered his license after he was randomly audited by the state and could not show proof he had obtained the required CE hours needed to renew his license.

A law was passed in 2017 requiring two (2) of the 30 credit hours to be on responsible opioid prescribing. This requirement is temporary and applies to 2019 and 2021 licensure renewals. The DEB is choosing not to actively approve or disapprove courses for this requirement. The WDA will notify members of courses as they become available.

*Don’t risk losing your license! Retain ALL your CE completion certificates for a minimum six years!

CE Frequently Asked Questions and answers

[wp_super_faq show_specific_category=ce]

Retired dentists

The question has come up about whether or not retired dentists who no longer practice must maintain their license.

First, from a state licensure standpoint, there is no difference between “retired” dentists who have kept their licenses (if you keep renewing your license, you have the ability to perform dentistry on anyone you want) and “actively practicing” dentists who have kept their licenses.

The state statutes do not have a category for people who “retire…but keep their license.” The state assumes if you keep your license, you will be able to perform dentistry on the public. For that reason, it is fully expected that any dentist who maintains an active license (even though he/she does not practice full-time) will be expected to meet the 30 hour CE requirements.

Therefore, if a dentist is completely retired (will not perform dental services in any capacity on another human being), then he/she should let his/her license lapse if he/she wishes to avoid the CE requirement.

Upcoming and low-cost CE opportunities

Wisconsin dental professionals  must complete required hours of continuing education (30 hours for dentists and 12 for dental hygienists) every two years to renew their licenses. Some sources for CE, including free and low-cost, include:

  • WDA Annual Continuing Education & Networking Event
  • Virtual Star of the North Dental Meeting
  • Your local dental society – Some components offer CE in conjunction with regular meetings. Take advantage of the opportunity to earn credits and network with your local colleagues. See the Calendar of Events to browse upcoming offerings
  • BizTalks webinar series– Business-focused webinar series presented by industry partners
  • Marquette University School of Dentistry – CE Your Way provides two CE credit hours for a cost of $50 with online participation from the comfort of your home or office. MUSOD also offers year-round courses and seminars on a variety of topics that vary in length and cost. Learn more here: http://www.marquette.edu/dentistry/professionals/continuing-education.php
  • American Dental Association – Read dental articles, take online courses and/or attend in-person trainings year-round on many topics. Learn more here: http://www.ada.org/en/education-careers/continuing-education
  • The Colgate Oral Health Network for Professional Education and Development offers free continuing education in the form of webinars, online courses and article. The courses are designed for oral health professionals, but are open to all who are interested in learning the latest evidence-based information and practices. Register at http://bit.ly/1uS sv3y.
  • Teach, earn credits – Instructors of CE courses meeting the criteria, dental resident program faculty and dental school faculty can count up to four credit hours for teaching. Similar to taking CE, dental education instructors must document the date, time, subject matter, sponsoring organization or accredited educational institution and number of hours.
  • ADA CE online
  • Wisconsin technical colleges

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