How Many CE Hours Do I Need?
The answer depends on your license type. Oklahoma operates on a 2-year CE reporting period — the current period runs July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027. All license renewals happen annually on December 31, but your CE accumulates across the 2-year window.
CPR + Ethics required.
CPR + Ethics required.
OMS permit: 8 hrs total.
Oklahoma license renewals are due December 31 each year. Missing the deadline by more than two months triggers automatic cancellation. Late dentists face a $1,000 fine; late hygienists face a $500 fine — plus you'll still need to make up the shortage before starting the next reporting period.
| License Type | Total CE / Cycle | Online Cap | Mandatory Topics | Reporting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dentist (DDS/DMD) | 40 hrs | Max 20 hrs online | Live CPR/BLS · Ethics (1 course per cycle) · Opioid prescribing (new licensees, 2 hrs within 1st year) | CE Broker (cebroker.com) |
| Dental Hygienist (RDH) | 20 hrs | Max 10 hrs online | Live CPR/BLS · Ethics (1 course per cycle) | CE Broker (cebroker.com) |
| Dental Assistant (DA) | 2 hrs | No stated cap | Infection control (2 hrs required) | CE Broker (cebroker.com) |
| OMS Dental Assistant | 8 hrs | No stated cap | 1 hr infection control required within the 8 hrs | CE Broker (cebroker.com) |
What Counts as Board-Approved CE?
The Oklahoma Board of Dentistry (OBD) accepts CE from any ADA CERP or AGD PACE recognized provider. You don't need to submit a list of courses for pre-approval — you just need to make sure your provider carries one of those two recognitions and that the topic is clinically relevant.
What qualifies:
- ✓Courses from ADA CERP recognized providers — the gold standard
- ✓Courses from AGD PACE recognized providers — equally accepted
- ✓Live in-person seminars at dental conferences, state associations, and study clubs
- ✓Live interactive webinars where you can ask and answer questions in real time — may count as in-person at the Board's discretion
- ✓CPR/BLS certification — must be live and hands-on (American Heart Association or approved equivalent). Counts toward your CE total.
- ✓Board-approved expanded function courses — like the courses Learn Today teaches
- ✓Ethics courses from any ADA/AGD approved provider
What does NOT count:
- ✗Online courses above the cap (20 hrs for dentists, 10 hrs for hygienists)
- ✗Practice management, financial planning, or investment courses
- ✗Professional organization business meetings (non-educational portions)
- ✗Online-only CPR courses — CPR must have a live, hands-on compression component
All Learn Today courses are approved by the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry and eligible for CE credit. When you complete a course with us, you receive a certificate of completion that you log directly into CE Broker. We track the paperwork — you just show up and learn.
Ready to get your CE done? We come to you.
We schedule around your practice, bring everything needed, and handle the paperwork. Available throughout Oklahoma and Missouri.
What Are Expanded Functions?
Expanded functions are specific clinical procedures that Oklahoma dental assistants are allowed to perform — but only after completing a Board-approved course and obtaining an individual permit from the OBD for each function. They're called "expanded" because they go beyond basic chairside assisting.
Think of expanded functions as certifications that increase what you can legally do in the office — and that directly increase your value to any dental practice. Most expanded function courses are one-day or two-day sessions, and Learn Today teaches them at your office.
The four main expanded functions in Oklahoma:
Allows dental assistants to position, expose, and process dental radiographs. Required by most dental offices. This is the most common first step for new dental assistants.
OBD-approved course required · Permit issued by BoardAllows dental assistants to perform rubber-cup polishing of the coronal surfaces of teeth — cleaning stain and plaque after scaling by the hygienist. Minimum 14 hours of OBD-approved instruction with a clinical component required.
Min. 14 hrs with clinical component · Permit requiredAllows dental assistants to apply pit and fissure sealants — one of the most in-demand expanded functions for pediatric and general practices. Important: You must already hold the Coronal Polishing permit before applying for Sealant Placement. Minimum 12 hours required.
Min. 12 hrs · Must hold Coronal Polishing permit firstAllows dental assistants to assist in the administration and monitoring of nitrous oxide and oxygen — a heavily sought skill in practices that offer sedation. OBD-approved course with clinical training required.
OBD-approved course required · Permit requiredYou cannot legally perform any expanded function until the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry has issued the permit and it appears on your permit record. Completing the course is only step one. Once you finish a Learn Today course, we provide your certificate — you then submit the permit application to the OBD. As of November 1, 2025, all dental assistants must also hold a basic DA permit before working chairside.
Does Learn Today Come to Our Office?
Yes — that is exactly how we operate, and it's one of the main reasons dental offices choose us over classroom-only programs.
Here's how our in-office training works:
- 1You call or email us to discuss which course(s) your team needs. We'll confirm eligibility — for example, making sure assistants already have the Coronal Polishing permit if you're inquiring about Sealants.
- 2We schedule around your practice. We can work early mornings, evenings, or days you're closed. Most courses run one to two days depending on the subject.
- 3Our licensed instructor comes to your office with all clinical training materials, instruments, and teaching supplies included.
- 4Students learn and practice in their own clinical environment — using familiar equipment, with real-world context that makes the training stick.
- 5We issue CE certificates immediately upon completion. You log them into CE Broker. Your team is done.
We also offer scheduled group classes if you only have one or two students who need a course — they join other dental professionals from offices around the area. These smaller class settings keep the training personal and hands-on.
Learn Today delivers board-approved CE throughout Oklahoma and Missouri. Whether you're in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Lawton, Enid, or a rural community, we schedule to come to you. Call (918) 232-2836 to check availability in your area.
Courses Learn Today Offers in Oklahoma
All Learn Today courses are approved by the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry and count toward your CE requirement. Here's a quick overview:
| Course | Who It's For | CE Hours | Qualifies For |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☢️ Radiation Safety | Dental Assistants | Board-approved hrs | OBD Expanded Function Permit · CE credit |
| ✨ Coronal Polishing | Dental Assistants | Min. 14 hrs w/ clinical | OBD Expanded Function Permit · CE credit |
| 🦷 Sealant Placement | DAs (must hold Coronal Polish permit) | Min. 12 hrs | OBD Expanded Function Permit · CE credit |
| 💨 Nitrous Oxide Monitoring | Dental Assistants | Board-approved hrs | OBD Expanded Function Permit · CE credit |
| ❤️ CPR / BLS | Entire dental office team | AHA-certified hrs | Required for all permits · CE credit (live/hands-on) |
| 🛡️ OSHA Compliance | Entire dental office team | Varies | OSHA compliance requirement · CE credit |
Frequently Asked Questions
You log your CE hours directly into CE Broker (cebroker.com) — you do not submit certificates with your renewal application. The OBD pulls compliance data from CE Broker at the end of the reporting period. However, the Board does conduct audits, and if your license number is selected, you'll need to produce the original certificate for every course you reported. Keep all certificates for at least the full reporting period.
The Oklahoma Board of Dentistry moved all CE reporting to CE Broker beginning July 1, 2025. You create a free account at cebroker.com using your Oklahoma license number. Many CE providers submit your hours to CE Broker automatically — but not all do, so always confirm with your provider. If they don't auto-report, you can manually add courses yourself. CE Broker is free to use for basic transcript management; they do offer optional paid subscriptions with additional tracking features.
Not entirely. Dentists may take a maximum of 20 of their 40 required hours online. Dental hygienists may take a maximum of 10 of their 20 required hours online. The remainder must be in-person or live interactive webinars (where you can actively ask and answer questions — passive recorded webinars don't qualify as in-person).
Additionally, CPR/BLS must always be live and hands-on — no online-only CPR counts, regardless of provider.
Dental assistants have no stated online cap for their 2-hour infection control requirement.
If you don't renew by December 31, the OBD will notify you that your license will be canceled on April 1 of the following year if you haven't renewed within two months. After April 1 cancellation, you can apply for reinstatement within five years, but you'll owe the renewal fee plus a penalty fee. You also cannot practice while your license is lapsed.
Late fee summary:
- Dentists: $1,000 fine + makeup hours required
- Hygienists: $500 fine + makeup hours required
Bottom line: set a calendar reminder in October. Renewal should be the last thing you scramble to do in December.
Yes — as of November 1, 2025, all dental assistants in Oklahoma must hold a permit from the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry before working chairside in a dental practice. This is a newer requirement that many offices are still catching up on.
New dental assistants must submit their permit application within 30 days of beginning employment. If you graduated from a CODA-accredited dental assisting program, you automatically receive all expanded duty permits when your application is approved — no additional courses required.
If you didn't graduate from a CODA program, you'll need to complete individual OBD-approved courses for each expanded function you want to perform.
No — holding the Coronal Polishing permit is a prerequisite for enrolling in a Sealant Placement course, but it doesn't automatically authorize sealant placement. You still need to complete a separate OBD-approved Sealant Placement course (minimum 12 hours) and then apply for and receive the Sealant Placement permit from the OBD before you can legally place sealants on patients.
Think of it as a ladder: Radiation Safety → Coronal Polishing → Sealant Placement. Each step requires its own course and permit. Learn Today teaches all three, and we can schedule them sequentially or bundle them for your team.
In Oklahoma, OSHA compliance training from an ADA/AGD approved provider generally qualifies as CE because it relates directly to patient safety and infection control — both are acceptable CE topics. This is different from Texas, where OSHA explicitly does not count toward CE hours.
The infection control portion of your OSHA training can count toward the dental assistant's required 2-hour infection control CE, as well as toward portions of the dentist or hygienist CE total if taken from an approved provider. Always verify with the OBD if you have a specific compliance audit concern.
Yes. Oklahoma dental hygienists can also obtain expanded function permits, including Coronal Polishing, Sealant Placement, and Nitrous Oxide Monitoring. The pathway is the same: complete an OBD-approved course and apply for the permit. Hygienists do not need the same prerequisites as dental assistants — they may go directly to the course for any function they choose.
Completing an expanded function course also counts toward your hygienist CE requirement if taken from an approved provider.
The Oklahoma Board of Dentistry (OBD) is small — only two office staff managing about 13,000 licensees — so be patient when calling.
- Phone: (405) 522-4844
- Fax: (405) 522-4614
- Address: 2920 N Lincoln Blvd., Ste B, Oklahoma City, OK 73105
- Website: oklahoma.gov/dentistry
- CE / Help Desk: (405) 521-2444 (for CE Broker login help)
For questions about specific course approval, expanded function applications, or permit status — call the Board directly. Learn Today is also happy to help you navigate the process. We've done it many times.
Get Your CE Done — We Come to You
If you've been putting off your team's CE or expanded function training, you're not alone. Scheduling is the biggest barrier most offices face. That's exactly why Learn Today exists.
We handle the scheduling, bring the materials, deliver the instruction, and hand you the certificates the same day. Your team stays in your office, learns in a familiar environment, and you're done. No travel, no hotels, no lost days.
- ✓Oklahoma Board of Dentistry approved for all courses we offer
- ✓Flexible scheduling — mornings, evenings, or office closure days
- ✓Small class sizes — hands-on clinical instruction, not just lecture
- ✓All six courses: Radiation, Coronal Polish, Sealants, Nitrous, CPR, OSHA
- ✓Also serving Missouri offices — same in-office model
Ready to schedule? It starts with one call.
Call or email Learn Today and we'll get a date on the calendar that works for your team. No long forms, no waiting — just a conversation.
Disclaimer: This guide reflects Oklahoma Board of Dentistry requirements as of March 2026. CE requirements can change. Always verify current requirements directly with the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry before your renewal date. This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice.