Continuing Education and License Renewal
The renewal cycle
Minnesota dental hygienist licenses renew on a two-year cycle. At renewal the licensee attests to completing the Board's required continuing education hours from acceptable providers, and must keep certificates and course documentation available for audit. Courses must be relevant to dental hygiene practice; board-approved or recognized provider categories apply. Falsifying a CE attestation is a disciplinary matter, not a technicality.
Practical renewal checklist
- Confirm the license expiration date in the Board's online system before the deadline.
- Total the CE hours and verify each course's provider and topic qualify.
- Keep certificates, dates, and hours for the audit period the Board specifies.
- Pay the fee on time; late practice on an expired license is unlicensed practice.
- Update name and address records so renewal notices actually arrive.
Worked example
A hygienist completes 40 hours, then takes a two-hour webinar on practice management software and counts it. If the topic does not meet the Board's relevance requirement, her total falls short. She should verify the topic qualifies and, if not, replace it before attesting.
Traps
- Assuming any CE certificate counts regardless of topic or provider.
- Losing certificates and having no proof during an audit.
- Continuing to treat patients while renewal is pending.
- Believing a lapse is cured by paying a fee with no consequence - reinstatement requirements may apply.