Renewal and Reactivation
Dentists are required to renew their licenses every two years , beginning April 1 of each odd-numbered year . In that two-year period , dentists must obtain the necessary credit hours of continuing education and complete any training requirements for their licensure type .
For more information regarding CE and training requirements , please visit the PDA website at : https :// www . padental . org / PDA22 / PDA22 / Continuing _ Education / Licensure / Licensure _ Requirements . aspx
Dentists who fail to renew their license must comply with the following if applying for reactivation :
• Pay the current biennial renewal fee .
• Provide evidence of having current CPR certification .
• Submit a notarized affidavit identifying the period of which in which he / she did not practice dentistry in Pennsylvania .
• Provide evidence of having completed the continuing education requirements for the renewal periods in which the license was not renewed .
Dentists who fail to renew for more than five years may be required to retake a clinical licensing examination .
If an applicant cannot meet the continuing education requirement due to illness , emergency or hardship may apply to the Board in writing for a wavier . The request must explain why compliance is impossible ; waivers will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis .
New Licensees and Renewal
If you obtained your initial license or certificate in the current biennial period , you are exempt from the continuing education hours required to renew your license .
For example , if you obtained your license in June 2022 , you obtained you license during the 2021-2023 biennial period , and are exempt from the continuing education hours requirement for the 2023 renewal .
However , there is one notable exception . All licensees and certificate holders are required to complete 2 hours of child abuse recognition and reporting continuing education , regardless of when they received their initial license or certificate to practice . The board will not renew a license or certificate unless they have received an electronic report from an approved course provider verifying course attendance .
Act 35 of 2022- Military and Veterans Licensure
In 2022 , the Pennsylvania legislature passed legislation to remove barriers to professional licensing for service members , veterans and their family members . Act 35 is designed to allow an easier and expedited licensing process for professionals that need to relocate , but need a license to continue to provide for their families .
Act 35 also establishes the creation of a Military Occupational Crosswalk in order to help translate military experience into civilian licensure requirements . More information can be found at : https :// www . dos . pa . gov / ProfessionalLicensing / Pages / Military-Occupational-Crosswalk- ( Act35-2022 ). aspx .
2024