Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia
Department 150 - RULES OF GEORGIA BOARD OF DENTISTRY
Chapter 150-5 - DENTAL HYGIENE
Rule 150-5-.05 - Requirements for Continuing Education for Dental Hygienists
Universal Citation: GA Rules and Regs r 150-5-.05
Current through Rules and Regulations filed through March 20, 2024
(1) Dental hygienists licensed to practice in the state of Georgia shall maintain and furnish to the Board, upon request, official documentation of having completed a minimum of twenty-two (22) hours of continuing education during each biennium. Official documentation shall be defined as documentation from an approved provider that verifies a licensee's attendance at a particular continuing education course. Official documentation of course attendance must be maintained by a dental hygienist for at least three (3) years following the end of the biennium during which the course was taken.
(a) Compliance with all continuing education
requirements is a condition for license renewal. Failure to complete all hours
of mandatory continuing education shall serve as grounds to deny the renewal of
a license and may also result in disciplinary action being taken against a
licensee.
(b) Upon its own motion,
the Board may at any time randomly select a percentage of actively licensed
dental hygienists for the purpose of auditing their compliance with the
continuing education requirements of the Board. Those licensees selected for an
audit shall submit official documentation of their compliance within thirty
(30) days of receipt of the audit letter. Failure to respond to an audit
request in a timely manner shall be grounds for disciplinary action against a
licensee.
(c) The continuing
education requirements shall apply within the first biennium that a dental
hygienist is licensed in Georgia. However, in order to meet the continuing
education requirements during the first biennium, a newly licensed dental
hygienist may submit as their continuing education hours proof of dental
hygiene coursework taken within the previous two (2) years of the date of the
renewal application from a university or other institution accredited by the
Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association.
Following the first biennium that a dental hygienist is licensed in Georgia
such licensees shall comply with the continuing education requirements set
forth in Rule 150-5-.05(2) and (3).
(d) The continuing education requirements
shall not apply to dental hygienists who are on inactive status.
(e) The continuing education requirements for
dental hygienists holding volunteer licenses may be satisfied by compliance
with this rule, or they may alternatively be satisfied by compliance with Rule
150-3-.10.
(2) Coursework, including home study courses, sponsored or approved by any organization recognized under Rule 150-3-.09(2) will be accepted.
(3) Course content:
(a) All courses must reflect the professional
needs of the hygienist providing quality dental health care to the
public;
(b) At least fifteen (15)
hours of the minimum requirement must be scientific courses in the actual
delivery of dental services to the patient or to the community;
(c) Four (4) credit hours for successful
completion of the in-person CPR course required by Georgia law offered by the
American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, the American Safety and
Health Institute, the National Safety Council, EMS Safety Services, or other
such agencies approved by the Board may be used to satisfy continuing education
requirements per renewal period. This requirement may be satisfied by
successful completion of an in-person Basic Life Support (BLS) or Advanced
Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) course.
(d) Up to eight (8) hours of continuing
education per year may be obtained by assisting the Board with administering
the clinical licensing examination or by assisting the Board with
investigations of licensees. These hours shall be approved by the Continuing
Education Committee of the Georgia Board of Dentistry and need not be sponsored
by any agency or organization listed in
150-3-.09(2).
(e) Up to five (5) hours of continuing
education per biennium may be obtained by teaching dental hygiene at any
ADA-approved educational facility. These hours shall be awarded, in writing, by
the course director at the facility and approved by the Continuing Education
Committee of the Georgia Board of Dentistry.
(f) Up to five (5) hours of continuing
education per biennium may be obtained by providing, uncompensated dental
hygiene care at a charitable dental event as defined by O.C.G.A §
43-11-53.
(g) Up to ten (10) hours of continuing
education per biennium may be obtained by members of the Georgia Board of
Dentistry for member service, where one continuing education hour is credited
for each five hours of Board service provided.
(h) Effective on and after January 1, 2022,
one (1) hour of the minimum requirement shall include legal ethics and
professionalism in the practice of dental hygiene, which shall include but not
be limited to, education and training regarding professional boundaries;
unprofessional conduct relating to the commission of acts of sexual intimacy,
abuse, misconduct, or exploitation with regard to the practice of dental
hygiene; legislative updates and changes to the laws relating to the practice
of dental hygiene and rules, policies, and advisory opinions and rulings issued
by the Board; professional conduct and ethics; proper billing practices;
professional liability; and risk management.
(i) Effective on and after January 1, 2024,
two (2) hours of the minimum requirement shall include education and training
regarding infection control in the practice of dental hygiene, which shall
include education and training regarding dental unit water lines.
(4) Criteria for receiving credit for attending an approved continuing education course:
(a) Credit hours are not retroactive or
cumulative. All credit hours must be received during the two (2) year period to
which they are applied;
(b) One
credit hour for each hour of course attendance will be allowed;
(c) Only twelve hours of credit will be
accepted per calendar day; and
(d)
Effective January 1, 2008, at least eleven (11) of the required twenty-two (22)
hours of credit must be acquired in person at an on-site course or seminar; you
are not allowed to acquire all CE hours through on-line courses, electronic
means, journal studies, etc.
(5) Criteria for receiving credit for teaching an approved continuing education course:
(a) Credit hours for teaching an approved
course must be obtained and used during the biennium that the approved course
is taught;
(b) A dental hygienist
that teaches an approved continuing education course is eligible to receive two
(2) credit hours for each hour of coursework that he or she presents at a
particular course. Credit will be given for teaching a particular course on one
occasion only. A maximum of five (5) credit hours per biennium may be obtained
by a dental hygienist by whom an approved continuing education course is
taught;
(c) Only continuing
education course designated in Rule 150-5-.05(2) as being sponsored or approved
by recognized organizations will be considered for credit pursuant to this
subsection of the rule. Courses taught by a dental hygienist prior to or a part
of the process of obtaining his or her R.D.H. shall not be eligible for
consideration pursuant to this provision of the rule;
(d) In the event that an audit is conducted
of the continuing education hours of a dental hygienist who has taught a course
approved by a recognized organization, the following shall be required to
document the dental hygienists role in presenting a continuing education
course:
1. Documentation from an approved
provider verifying that the dental hygienist presented an approved continuing
education course;
2. Documentation
from an approved provider reflecting the content of the course;
3. Documentation from an approved provider
specifying the list of materials used as part of the course; and
4. Documentation from an approved provider
verifying the hours earned and the dates and times that the course in question
was given.
(e) In the
event that an approved continuing education course is taught by more than one
dental hygienist, continuing education credit will be given for those portions
of course work in which the dental hygienist is directly involved and primarily
responsible for the preparation and presentation thereof. Continuing education
credit will not be available to a dental hygienist whose participation in
preparing and presenting an approved course is not readily
identifiable.
(6) Criteria for receiving credit for providing uncompensated indigent dental hygiene care.
(a) Up to five (5) hours of
continuing education per biennium may be obtained by providing uncompensated
dental hygiene care at a charitable dental event as defined by O.C.G.A §
43-11-53.
(b) Dental hygienists may receive one hour of
continuing education for every four hours of indigent dental hygiene care the
dental hygienist provides, up to five (5) hours. Such continuing education
credits will be applied toward the dental hygienist's clinical
courses.
(c) All credit hours must
be received during the two (2) year renewal period;
(d) Dental hygienists shall at all times be
required to meet the minimal standards of acceptable and prevailing practice in
Georgia;
(e) The Board shall have
the right to request the following:
1.
Documentation from the organization indicating that the dental hygienist
provided the services;
2.
Documentation from the organization that it provided medical and/or dental
hygiene services to the indigent and/or those making up the underserved
populations;
3. Notarized
verifications from the organization documenting the dental hygienist agreement
not to receive compensation for the services provided;
4. Documentation from the organization
detailing the actual number of hours spent providing said services;
and
5. Documentation from the
dental hygienist and/or organization verifying the services provided.
O.C.G.A. §§ 43-11-7, 43-11-9, 43-11-53, 43-11-73.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Georgia may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google
Privacy Policy and
Terms of Service apply.
