Last updated July 2026 · all courses free at the point of access
Written by Dr Sam — practising dentist, Australia, and the clinician behind this directory. About the author →
Primary source: NYSED Office of the Professions / State Board for Dentistry — official site. Requirements on this page are summarised from the Board's published rules — always confirm the current rules at the source.
New York's rulebook comes from the NYSED Office of the Professions / State Board for Dentistry, and the number that matters is 60 contact hours per 3-year registration period. The detail that matters most for readers of this directory is the delivery rule: a maximum of 18 of the 60 hours may be self-study — at least 42 must be live/interactive (live webinars with real-time interaction qualify); practice-management courses are not accepted.
The board attaches named requirements beyond the total — these are the ones that catch people at audit:
- NYSED-approved infection control course every 4 years
- One-time mandated courses: dental jurisprudence & ethics, tobacco/oral-cancer effects, and child abuse identification (updated curriculum applies)
- 3 hours in pain management, palliative care and addiction every 3 years for controlled-substance prescribers
- CPR maintained (countable up to 12 hours per period)
How free online courses slot in: the Board recognises courses from sponsors approved by recognised approvers (including ADA CERP-recognised organisations), which covers most providers in this directory — so a certificated free webinar is creditable CE with a proper paper trail. Compliance is attestation-based: keep certificates for 6 years; NYSED audits at random. Log each course the day you finish it with the free CE tracker (set the US preset to your cycle), and see the US CE guide for the national picture.
Browse certificated courses for your CE record →A starting sample across clinical areas
- The Versatile World of Cementation: Zirconia vs Lithium Disilicate
- Digital Dentistry in Focus: Single Anterior Implants from Planning to Restoration
- Advancements in Mechanized Root Canal Preparation: A Comprehensive Guide
- Adapting to the Piezon PS – The No Pain Experience
- Advancing Prevention in the Era of Fluoride Hesitancy
- Efficient Digital Dentures
- Providing Care in a Marijuana Legal World
- Corticosteroids and Immunosuppressants
Frequently asked questions
How many CE hours do New York dentists need?
60 contact hours per 3-year registration period, under the NYSED Office of the Professions / State Board for Dentistry. Cycle timing and category rules are set by the Board — always work from the current renewal guide.
Do free online courses count in New York?
Yes, within the delivery rules: a maximum of 18 of the 60 hours may be self-study — at least 42 must be live/interactive (live webinars with real-time interaction qualify); practice-management courses are not accepted. Courses from courses from sponsors approved by recognised approvers (including ADA CERP-recognised organisations) give you a certificate with your name, provider, date and hours — the evidence that matters at audit.
What topics are mandatory?
Currently: nYSED-approved infection control course every 4 years; one-time mandated courses: dental jurisprudence & ethics, tobacco/oral-cancer effects, and child abuse identification (updated curriculum applies); 3 hours in pain management, palliative care and addiction every 3 years for controlled-substance prescribers; cPR maintained (countable up to 12 hours per period). Mandates are the part of state CE that changes most often, so re-check the Board’s list each cycle.
Do I submit certificates at renewal?
Generally no — keep certificates for 6 years; NYSED audits at random. A tidy dated log plus the certificates themselves is the whole game; the free CE tracker’s PDF export exists for exactly that conversation.
Related guides
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