Licensure, Renewal, and Continuing Education Requirements
Licensure pathway
Applicants must graduate from a CODA-accredited dental hygiene program and pass the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and a Board-approved clinical examination. The Board also requires a completed application, fee, background check, and compliance with Maine jurisprudence requirements. Licensure by credentials or endorsement may be available for experienced licensees, but eligibility is determined by the Board.
Renewal and continuing education
Maine uses a biennial renewal cycle. Licensees must complete the Board's continuing education requirement-currently 30 hours per biennium, including mandatory infection control hours-and retain certificates for audit. CE must be relevant and from acceptable providers; not every product-training or online hour counts. Late renewal can require additional fees and affect the authority to practice.
Documentation and audits
Keep CE certificates, renewal confirmations, and name-change records. The Board can audit, and missing documentation can lead to discipline even when the licensee attended the course.
Worked example
A hygienist completes 20 hours of clinical courses, 2 hours of infection control, and 8 hours of general management in a biennium. The total is 30, so the hour count is met, but the hygienist should confirm that the management hours are Board-acceptable and that the infection control course meets the mandatory topic. If a specific ethics hour is also required, the mix may still be short.
Traps
Do not assume another state's CE total satisfies Maine. Do not count the same course twice. Do not wait until renewal to check mandatory topics, because Board rules can change.