Georgia Dental CE Requirements for Infection Control & Waterlines
Georgia's Infection Control CE Requirement
Contaminated dental unit waterlines have caused documented infections in dental patients nationwide, including nearly 30 children in Georgia. In response, the Georgia Board of Dentistry strengthened its continuing education rules to make sure licensees are specifically trained on infection control and waterline safety - not just aware that CDC guidance exists.
The CDC has published dental waterline guidance for years, but without regulatory authority, that guidance was often treated as optional. Georgia is one of the states that has since written CDC's infection control recommendations directly into its Dental Practice Act.
What the Rule Requires
Dentists — Still 40 hours of continuing education per biennium. Of those, 2 hours must cover infection control, with at least 1 hour specifically on dental unit waterlines (Rule 150-3-.09).
Dental hygienists — Still 22 hours per biennium, with the same 2-hour infection control / waterline carve-out (Rule 150-5-.05).
No added hours — The total CE requirement hasn't increased for either license type; a portion of the existing hours now must cover this specific content.
Not a substitute for OSHA training — The Board has been explicit that these 2 hours satisfy the state CE rule only. They don't replace your practice's separate OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens training obligations.
Join us live: SafeLink is hosting a Safe Water webinar on September 22 that carries AGD PACE continuing education credit, which can count toward this infection control/waterline requirement. Register here.
Other Georgia CE Rules Worth Knowing
A few related requirements are easy to lose track of:
Dentists: at least 30 of the 40 hours must be clinical coursework, and at least 20 hours must be completed in person; up to 4 hours of CPR certification can count toward the total.
Hygienists: at least 15 of the 22 hours must be scientific coursework in patient care, at least 11 hours must be in person, 1 hour of legal ethics/professionalism has been mandatory since 2022, and up to 4 hours of CPR can count toward the total.
Documentation of attendance should be kept for at least 3 years following the biennium in which the course was taken, and produced for the Board on request.
For more on the waterline side of this requirement, see our guide to Dental Unit Waterline Maintenance: OSHA, CDC & ADA Compliance.
Staying Compliant
Knowing the requirement is one thing — building it into your renewal cycle is another. Confirm your infection control coursework specifically addresses dental unit waterlines, keep your certificates of completion on file, and remember this CE requirement runs alongside your OSHA obligations, not in place of them.
Learn more about sterilization errors made in dentistry.
Learn more about SafeLink Consulting's CDC-Aligned Infection Prevention and Control Programs.
This content is for informational purposes only. Not legal or regulatory advice.
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Get the free EAP Checklist ↗ Mary A. Bartlett, Senior Vice President & Founder of SafeLink Consulting, has spent more than three decades at the forefront of dental industry compliance and safety. Since 1991, she has been a trusted presenter and on-site instructor for dental and general industry professionals across the United States, Canada, and Asia — delivering expertise on employee health and safety, patient safety, privacy, and quality assurance. She has authored content for numerous national publications, and her clients consistently benefit from her hands-on experience navigating OSHA, FDA, and State Board inspections.
