Florida dentists need 30 CE hours every two years, including a medical errors course, safe controlled substance prescribing, and periodic domestic violence content. The mandated topics are specific and none of them is satisfied by general clinical education.
Florida's dental biennium ends February 28 of even-numbered years — a fixed statewide deadline, not a birthday. That makes the date easy. The mandated courses stacked inside the 30 hours, plus one that only surfaces every six years, are the part that needs attention.
The 30-hour biennium
The Florida Board of Dentistry requires 30 hours of approved continuing professional education every two-year biennium. Several mandatory courses count toward those 30:
- Prevention of medical errors — 2 hours each biennium.
- Safe prescribing of controlled substances — 2 hours each renewal, for dentists registered with the DEA. Part of controlled-substance CME by state.
- Domestic violence — 2 hours, once every third biennium (every six years). Part of domestic-violence CE hiding in plain sight.
- CPR — current certification obtained through a live, hands-on course.
The CPR requirement is hands-on, not online
Florida is specific: CPR certification must come from a live, hands-on course. An online-only CPR card will not satisfy it. This is the same point made in CPR/BLS as a CE requirement — the format is part of the rule, not just the content.
The domestic-violence course is the every-six-years trap
Most of the mandated courses recur every biennium, so they stay on your radar. Domestic violence comes due only every third renewal — every six years — which is exactly long enough to forget. Mark it the day you complete it. It is the dental version of the domestic-violence requirement Florida nurses face on a similar cadence.
The controlled-substance course is DEA-specific
The 2-hour safe-prescribing course applies to dentists registered with the DEA. If you prescribe controlled substances, plan on it every renewal. If you hold a sedation or anesthesia permit, you may have additional obligations — see sedation and anesthesia CE for dentists with permits.
How Florida compares
Thirty hours over two years sits in the middle for dentists. Texas asks for 24 every two years with its own annual-renewal confusion, South Dakota runs 100 over five years, and Arizona is triennial plus jurisprudence. Florida's distinguishing features are its specific mandated courses and the hands-on CPR rule. If you are licensed in more than one state, each needs its own plan.
A clean Florida dentist cycle
Bank 30 hours by February 28 of the even year, including medical errors and, if you are a DEA registrant, safe controlled-substance prescribing. Keep your hands-on CPR current. Add 2 domestic-violence hours every sixth year. Verify everything posted to your CE tracking record and keep certificates — an audit is mostly clean documentation. Confirm current rules with the Florida Board of Dentistry.
If keeping three every-renewal courses, a hands-on CPR requirement, and an every-six-years domestic-violence course straight before a fixed February deadline sounds like a lot, we will map it. White Glove CME builds a written Florida dentist plan for a flat $99 per license renewal — planning only, no credit granted, no board login. See pricing or tell us your renewal year. The breakdown is on our Florida dentist page and the Florida overview.
Common questions
- How many CE hours do Florida dentists need?
- Thirty hours every two years, including mandated content on medical errors and safe controlled substance prescribing, plus domestic violence on its own cycle.
- What is the Florida medical errors course?
- A required two-hour course on preventing medical errors, mandated across several Florida health professions and required each renewal cycle.
- Do Florida dentists need opioid CE?
- Yes, safe and effective prescribing of controlled substances is a mandated topic for prescribers, with its own hour requirement.
- Does Florida use CE Broker?
- Yes. Florida boards use CE Broker, so accredited providers generally report hours directly, though you remain responsible for confirming the record.
- What happens if a mandated topic is missing?
- Renewal is blocked or conditional until it is completed. Extra general hours do not substitute for a mandated subject.
Need help figuring out your CME?
Stop guessing what CME you need. Tell us your license type, state, and renewal date, and we'll map exactly which continuing-education hours and mandated topics you need — and by when. Flat $99 per plan.