Licensure, Registration, Renewal, and Continuing Education
License, not registration
Ohio issues dental hygienist licenses through the State Dental Board; dental assistants who expose radiographs hold a separate radiographer registration. A hygienist must graduate from an accredited program and pass the required examinations, then renew on the Board’s cycle (biennial for hygienists). Keep the license and any local anesthesia or nitrous permit current; practicing on a lapsed license is a violation even if renewal is pending.
Renewal and CE
- Renew online by the Board deadline; late renewal may require a fee and CE.
- Complete the CE hours set by Board rule-commonly 24 hours per biennium for hygienists-and retain certificates for audit.
- Satisfy mandated topic hours in rules, such as infection control; do not count unrelated coursework unless the rule permits it.
- Report changes of address and any disciplinary action in other jurisdictions.
Worked example
A hygienist has 20 CE hours and a CPR card expiring next month. CPR may count only if the Board’s rule accepts it and it is current; the deficit remains. The hygienist cannot “round up” or count an employer’s in-service unless it meets the rule’s approval and documentation requirements. The correct move is to complete acceptable CE before renewal and keep certificates.
Traps
CE hours are not interchangeable with dentist hours. A national certification is not an Ohio license. Inactive or retired status does not permit practice. Failing an audit can lead to discipline even if the license was renewed.