2023 Oklahoma Statutes › Title 59. Professions and Occupations › §59-328.41. Renewal certificate - Continuing education requirements – Fee - Automatic cancellation.

A. 1. On or before the last day of December of each year, every dentist, dental hygienist, dental assistant, oral maxillofacial surgery assistant and other licensee or permit holders previously licensed or permitted by the Board to practice in this state, with the exception of those listed in paragraph 2 of this subsection, shall submit a completed renewal application with information as may be required by the Board, together with an annual renewal fee established by the rules of the Board. Upon receipt of the annual renewal fee, the Board shall issue a renewal certificate authorizing the dentist, dental hygienist, dental assistant or oral maxillofacial surgery assistant to continue the practice of dentistry or dental hygiene, respectively, in this state for a period of one (1) year. Every license or permit issued by the Board shall begin on January 1 and expire on December 31 of each year.
2. Resident and fellowship permits shall be valid from July 1 through June 30 of each year and dental student intern permits shall be valid from August 1 through July 31 of each year.
B. Beginning July 1, 2021, continuing education requirements shall be due at the end of each two-year period.
C. 1. Continuing education requirements for a dentist or dental hygienist shall consist of:
a.
a live, in-person cardiopulmonary resuscitation class approved by the Board,
b.
an ethics class approved by the Board,
c.
for a dentist, two (2) hours of opioid and scheduled drug prescribing classes, and
d.
any combination of the following:
(1)
completion of classes at a university, college or technology center school accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) or college courses related to dentistry, which shall count equal to credit hours received on a transcript,
(2)
teaching one or more classes at a school or program accredited by CODA, for which the dentist or dental hygienist shall receive credit for the semester credit hours and one (1) hour of credit per eighteen (18) hours of clinical instruction,
(3)
publishing papers, presenting clinics and lecturing, for which the dentist or dental hygienist shall receive six (6) credit hours for each hour of the original presentation and hour-for-hour credit for a subsequent presentation of the same material. No more than fifty percent (50%) of total required continuing education hours may be fulfilled by activities described in this division,
(4)
a scientific-based medical treatment and patient care class approved by the Board,
(5)
any health-related program sponsored by the Veterans Administration or Armed Forces provided at a government facility,
(6)
formal meetings by national or state professional organizations for dental providers, or university-sponsored professional alumni clinical meetings approved by the Board,
(7)
organized study clubs,
(8)
uncompensated volunteer work at an event approved by the Board not to exceed seven (7) hours for a dentist or four (4) hours for a dental hygienist, or
(9)
practice-management-related courses not to exceed four (4) hours for a dentist or two (2) hours for a dental hygienist.
2. Full-time graduate study, internships, residencies and dentists and dental hygienists engaged in a full-time program accredited by CODA shall be exempt from continuing education for a continuing education year per academic year completed.
3. New graduates of dental and hygiene programs shall not be required to complete continuing education for the first year after graduation. Continuing education requirements for dentists and dental hygienists who are new graduates shall begin July 1 of the calendar year following the year of graduation. Hours shall be prorated by year of new licensure.
D. 1. Dentists shall complete forty (40) hours of continuing education with no more than twenty (20) hours to be completed online. Hygienists shall complete twenty (20) hours of continuing education with no more than ten (10) hours to be completed online. Interactive classes or webinar classes may, at the discretion of the Board, count as in-person.
2. Oral maxillofacial surgery assistants shall complete eight (8) hours of continuing education including one (1) hour of infection control.
3. Dental assistants shall complete two (2) hours of infection control.
4. Any newly licensed dentist shall complete a two-hour opioid and scheduled drug prescribing class within one (1) year of obtaining licensure.
E. Upon failure of a dentist, dental hygienist, dental assistant or oral maxillofacial surgery assistant to pay the annual renewal fee within two (2) months after January 1 of each year, the Board shall notify the dentist, dental hygienist, dental assistant, oral maxillofacial surgery assistant, or other permit holder that the license or permit will be officially canceled as of April 1 pursuant to subsection M of Section 328.21 of this title. A list of canceled licenses or permits not otherwise renewed shall be published at the following meeting of the Board.
F. Any dentist, dental hygienist, dental assistant or oral maxillofacial surgery assistant whose license or permit is automatically canceled by reason of failure, neglect or refusal to secure the renewal certificate may be reinstated by the Board at any time within one (1) year from the date of the expiration of the license, upon payment of the annual renewal fee and a penalty fee established by the rules of the Board. If the dentist, dental hygienist, dental assistant, or oral maxillofacial surgery assistant does not apply for renewal of the license or permit and pay the required fees within one (1) year after the license has expired, then the dentist, dental hygienist, dental assistant or oral maxillofacial surgery assistant shall be required to file an application for and take the examination or other requirements provided for in the State Dental Act or the rules promulgated by the Board before again commencing practice.
G. The Board, by rule, shall provide for the remittance of fees otherwise required by the State Dental Act while a dentist or dental hygienist is on active duty with any of the Armed Forces of the United States.
H. In case of a lost or destroyed license or renewal certificate and upon satisfactory proof of the loss or destruction thereof, the Board may issue a duplicate, charging therefor a fee established by the rules of the Board.
I. A dentist, dental hygienist, oral maxillofacial surgery assistant or dental assistant that is in good standing and not under investigation that notifies the Board in writing of a voluntary nonrenewal of license or requests retirement status shall have a right to renew or reinstate his or her license within five (5) years from the date of notice. The Board may require any training or continuing education requirements to be met prior to reinstatement.
J. A dentist, dental hygienist, oral maxillofacial dental assistant or dental assistant that has not had an active license or permit in excess of five (5) years shall be required to apply as a new applicant.
K. Any application for a license or permit that has remained inactive for more than one (1) year shall be closed.
Added by Laws 1970, c. 173, § 41, eff. July 1, 1970. Amended by Laws 1999, c. 280, § 10, eff. Nov. 1, 1999; Laws 2003, c. 172, § 6, emerg. eff. May 5, 2003; Laws 2012, c. 270, § 9, eff. Nov. 1, 2012; Laws 2013, c. 405, § 15, eff. July 1, 2013; Laws 2015, c. 229, § 22, eff. July 1, 2015; Laws 2017, c. 302, § 6, emerg. eff. May 17, 2017; Laws 2018, c. 151, § 11, eff. Nov. 1, 2018; Laws 2019, c. 397, § 9; Laws 2021, c. 566, § 12, emerg. eff. May 28, 2021; Laws 2022, c. 158, § 7, eff. Nov. 1, 2022.
NOTE: Laws 2019, c. 428, § 4 repealed by Laws 2021, c. 566, § 17, emerg. eff. May 28, 2021.