Licensure, Renewal, and Continuing Education Requirements
Licensure pathways and renewal
Indiana licensure requires an accredited dental education, national board examination, a clinical examination accepted by the Board, and jurisprudence/ethics requirements. The Board issues licenses; IPLA administers the application and renewal process. Renewal is biennial. Licensees must complete the continuing education required by Board rule, including any mandated subject hours, retain certificates, and renew on time. An expired license may not be practiced on; reinstatement may require late fees, CE and explanation. Inactive status does not authorize practice.
CE and documentation
CE must come from Board-accepted providers and cover relevant clinical or professional subjects. Keep certificates for the audit period. Mandated topics can include opioid/controlled-substance prescribing, infection control, and ethics. CE taken to satisfy another state's renewal is not automatically accepted.
Worked example
A dentist lets registration lapse for 90 days, keeps seeing patients, then completes a batch of online CE and asks for renewal. The practicing while expired is unlicensed practice and a disciplinary ground. Renewal will require the Board's reinstatement process and acceptable CE, and the CE must match Indiana's categories, not merely total hours. The legal problem is not fixed by paying a late fee after seeing patients.
Traps that cost marks
Assuming a renewal notice excuses late renewal; assuming any CE counts; assuming inactive status allows limited practice; failing to report a change of address or disciplinary action in another state. CE audits require proof, not a claim.