What type of continuing education courses must be clinical in nature?

• A. Clinical in nature
• B. Courses must pertain to the actual delivery of dental or dental hygiene services directly to the patient
• C. Administrative courses
• D. Research methodology

Answer: (B)

The essential idea is that continuing education credits used for licensure must involve direct patient care. Courses that teach or refine how you actually deliver dental or dental hygiene services to a patient—hands-on procedures, clinical decision-making, patient management, and care in a real clinical setting—count as clinical. They keep your practical skills current and ensure you can apply techniques safely and effectively with patients.

Courses that focus on administrative tasks, research methodology, or other non-clinical topics don’t involve performing care for patients, so they don’t meet the clinical requirement, though they may sometimes count toward general CE credits depending on the rules of the state board.