Continuing education (CE) is a critical part of any dentist’s career. All states require dentists to complete a certain number of CE hours each year in order to maintain their dental license. Many dentists wonder if participating in webinars counts as live CE credits.
What are the CE requirements for dentists?
The specific CE requirements for dentists vary by state, but most states require around 25-50 CE hours per year. These credits are meant to ensure that dentists stay up-to-date on the latest techniques, technologies, and best practices in dentistry.
Many states split the CE requirements into different categories like:
- General dental CE hours
- Live CE hours
- Ethics CE hours
Live CE refers to courses and lectures where the instructor is actively presenting in real-time. This is in contrast to self-study courses where dentists learn the material on their own time without a live speaker.
Why do states require live CE for dentists?
There are a few key reasons why many states require a portion of a dentist’s CE to be live:
- Live lectures allow dentists to ask questions and interact with instructors in real-time.
- Live CE ensures dentists are focused on the material without distractions.
- Hearing speakers and networking with other dentists provides value beyond just reading material.
- Attending live CE shows a dentist’s dedication to staying current.
Ultimately, live CE aims to provide a more engaging and high-quality learning experience. Self-study options like reading journals or watching videos have a place as well, but live events force dentists to truly show up and focus.
Do webinars qualify as live CE?
This is where things get tricky. The rules on webinars counting as live CE vary significantly by state dental boards.
Some states like Texas, Florida, and Nevada explicitly state that interactive webinars are accepted as live CE. However, other states like New York and Oregon do not consider webinars to be live, interactive CE. Some states do not directly address webinars at all in their CE requirements.
For states where the rules are unclear, it is best to contact the dental board directly to ask about their policy on webinars. Make sure to specify that the webinar involves a live speaker and the ability to ask questions in real-time.
Requirements for webinars to qualify as live CE
For a webinar to have the best chance of counting as live CE, it should meet the following criteria:
- Have a speaker that is presenting live, not a pre-recorded presentation.
- Allow participants to submit questions and interact with the speaker in real-time.
- Have attendance monitoring for proof of participation.
- Provide a certificate of completion with CE credits and contact hours.
Webinars that simply involve watching a prerecorded video likely would not qualify. The key is to have live engagement between attendees and the speaker.
Benefits of webinars for dentist CE
Assuming they meet a state’s requirements, there are many potential benefits of webinars for dentists seeking CE credits:
- Convenience: Webinars allow dentists to earn CE without extensive travel and time away from the office.
- Flexibility: Dentists can view live webinars from home or office and during off-hours.
- Cost: Webinars tend to cost significantly less than in-person CE events.
- Variety: A wide array of dental topics and specialties can be covered through webinars.
Being able to earn CE credits without spending days at conferences out of town is a major advantage of webinars for busy dentists.
Drawbacks of webinars for CE
Webinars do have some potential drawbacks as well:
- Technological problems: Internet crashes or software glitches could interrupt the presentation.
- Less engagement: It can be easier to get distracted or tune out during a webinar versus an in-person lecture.
- No in-person networking: Webinars lack the connections made with other attendees at live conferences.
- Unclear state approval: Some states still do not approve webinars for live CE credits.
There are ways to enhance engagement with webinars though, like requiring polls and attendee participation throughout the presentation. Overall, the convenience tends to outweigh potential drawbacks for most dentists.
Credibility of CE providers
When selecting a CE webinar, it is important to ensure the provider is reputable and the credits will be accepted by your state board. Here are some factors to consider:
- Is the provider approved by the American Dental Association’s Continuing Education Recognition Program (ADA CERP)? ADA CERP is the gold standard.
- Are they approved by your state dental board? Look for state-specific approval.
- Do they provide certificates with all the details needed for CE reporting?
- Do they have experience providing dental CE and positive reviews?
- Does their material seem unbiased and align with current dental research?
Scrutinize CE providers thoroughly before paying for and investing time into a webinar. Only reputable programs will offer credits that count.
Types of webinars for dental CE
There are a wide variety of webinar topics that can qualify for CE credits:
General dental topics
Webinars on broad dental topics like new technologies, patient communication, practice management, and legal compliance can provide CE across dental specialties.
Specialty-focused webinars
For specialties like orthodontics, endodontics, and oral surgery, webinars allow dentists to earn very tailored CE related to their field.
Skill-building webinars
Interactive webinars that provide virtual hands-on education can teach dentists new skills and procedures to implement immediately.
Ethics webinars
These webinars help dentists fulfill their required ethics credits on topics like HIPAA compliance, harassment prevention, and professionalism.
The convenience of webinars allows choosing among many dental niches and focus areas for CE rather than relying solely on large conferences.
Finding available webinars for CE
There are a few ways for dentists to find webinars approved for CE credits:
- Dental associations like the ADA and AGD often provide webinars along with in-person events.
- Dental education companies like Procter & Gamble and PennWell host webinars on a range of topics.
- Online searches for “dental webinars” or “dental CE webinars” will reveal providers.
- Dedicated dental CE sites like dentalcare.com list upcoming live webinars.
- Dental product companies sometimes provide training webinars on their equipment.
Many webinar providers will also email subscribers upcoming webinar opportunities as part of their marketing funnel.
Planning your webinar CE hours
It is smart to create an annual CE plan and calendar to make sure you obtain all the credits needed. Here are some tips when planning to use webinars for your live CE requirements:
- Review your state’s specific yearly CE requirements and deadlines.
- Map out how many webinar hours you will need to dedicate.
- Search and select from available webinar options for your schedule.
- Book and pay for the webinars well in advance to secure your spot.
- Block off time on your calendar to view the webinars once registered.
- Follow up to get your attendance certificates.
- Keep copies of your certificates and submission paperwork.
Planning ahead helps prevent a last-minute scramble to get your credits completed on time each year.
Reporting your webinar CE hours
Once you complete the webinar CE courses, make sure to report your credits properly to get credit:
- Fill out any attendance verification forms and evaluation surveys required.
- Obtain a certificate of completion with your name, course details, credits earned, and any provider approval numbers.
- Keep the certificate for submission to your state license board.
- Report your CE hours during your board’s annual license renewal period.
- Retain copies of certificates and any submission paperwork for at least 4-5 years.
Many states require submitting CE certificates along with your license renewal form. Contact your state dental board with any questions on reporting.
Case studies on webinar CE
Dr. Johnson in Florida
Dr. Sarah Johnson is a general dentist in Tampa, Florida. She needs 30 total CE hours annually, including 20 general hours and 10 live CE hours. Florida dental rules specify that webinars count as live CE if they feature a live presenter. Dr. Johnson registers for a series of 1-2 hour webinars throughout the year on topics like digital dentures, medically complex patients, and maximizing dental benefits. The webinars are presented live with Q&A sessions. She reports the webinar credits along with her dental license renewal each February.
Dr. Kapoor in Oregon
Dr. Amit Kapoor is a pediatric dentist in Portland, Oregon. Oregon requires 40 CE hours per 2-year license renewal period, with at least 20 live participation hours. The state does not allow webinars for live CE. To obtain his required live credits, Dr. Kapoor budgets time and funds to attend in-person conferences like the Oregon Dental Association annual meeting. He supplements the live courses by viewing recorded lectures and reading dental journals for the remainder of his CE hours.
| State | CE Requirements | Webinar Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 30 hours annually 10 live hours |
Live webinars allowed |
| Oregon | 40 hours biennially 20 live hours |
Webinars do not qualify as live |
Key takeaways
In summary, key points to remember about webinars for dentist CE include:
- Requirements for live CE vary significantly by state dental boards.
- Interactive webinars may count if they feature a live speaker and audience participation.
- Webinars offer convenience but some drawbacks versus in-person CE.
- Providers should be vetted thoroughly before registering for webinars.
- A range of dental topics can be covered through webinars.
- Proper reporting procedures are essential to gain credit for webinars.
With proper planning and understanding of the regulations, webinars can be a valuable tool for dentists to earn CE efficiently. Just make sure to confirm with your state that real-time webinars will qualify toward your license renewal requirements.