Compliance Training Requirements for Texas Dental Professionals

Below are the required or strongly recommended trainings for dental teams in Texas, with who needs it, how often, providers, CE overlap, and documentation.

1) OSHA & Workplace Safety (Bloodborne Pathogens, Hazard Communication, Fire/Evacuation)

Required? Yes (federal OSHA).

Who? All at-risk employees: dentists, hygienists, assistants, sterilization techs; front office should receive general safety/emergency training.

Frequency: At hire and annually; plus whenever processes, equipment, or chemicals change.

Accepted providers: In-house by a knowledgeable trainer or reputable dental-specific vendors/associations.

CE overlap: Does not count toward Texas license CE.

Documentation to keep: Agenda or outline, date, trainer, attendee roster/signatures; keep at least 3 years.

Include in training:

Exposure Control Plan review (sharps, PPE, post-exposure protocol)

Bloodborne Pathogens standard elements

Hazard Communication (SDS access, labeling, new chemicals)

Fire safety, evacuation routes, severe weather plan

Ergonomics and injury reporting

2) HIPAA + Texas HB 300 (Privacy & Security)

Required? Yes (federal HIPAA + Texas law).

Who? All workforce members who access PHI: clinical and administrative.

Frequency: At hire (within 90 days under Texas HB 300) and periodic refreshers; most practices do annual updates and whenever policies/laws change.

Accepted providers: In-house privacy officer or credible external courses; content must be role-based and reflect both HIPAA and Texas requirements.

CE overlap: May count as risk-management CE if taken from an approved CE provider (up to the state’s risk-management cap).

Documentation to keep: Employee signed acknowledgment/certificate, date, content outline; retain with privacy policy updates (best practice: 6 years).

Include in training:

Minimum necessary, permitted uses/disclosures, patient rights

Safeguards (passwords, screen-locking, device/media handling)

Breach recognition and internal reporting

Texas-specific stricter rules and breach timelines

Practical scenarios for front desk, billing, and clinical staff

3) Infection Control (CDC Dental Guidelines)

Required? Yes (standard of care; incorporated into Texas rules).

Who? All clinical personnel; orient others as appropriate.

Frequency: At hire and annually; plus competency checks and when protocols/equipment change.

Accepted providers: In-house using CDC/OSAP resources or dental-specific courses; designate an Infection Control Coordinator.

CE overlap: Infection-control courses can count as clinical CE if CE-accredited; OSHA “BBP” hours themselves do not count.

Documentation to keep: Attendance logs/certificates, annual protocol review sign-off, spore test logs, waterline maintenance records.

Include in training:

Instrument processing flow & monitoring (BI spore tests)

Operatory turnover & environmental disinfection

Hand hygiene, PPE selection and donning/doffing

Dental unit water quality and maintenance

Exposure incident procedures

4) Fraud, Waste & Abuse (FWA) / General Compliance (for Medicaid/Medicare/MA plans)

Required? For practices participating in Medicaid/CHIP/Medicare Advantage or per payer contracts.

Who? All staff involved in program patient care or billing.

Frequency: At hire (often within 30–90 days) and annually thereafter.

Accepted providers: Payer-provided modules, CMS web-based training, or credible compliance courses; follow plan instructions.

CE overlap: Typically no (operational compliance).

Documentation to keep: Certificates or attestation logs for each employee; keep with payer compliance files (recommend 5 years).

Include in training:

Examples of fraud/upcoding, improper billing, kickbacks

How to report concerns (hotlines, internal reporting)

False Claims Act basics and record-keeping expectations

5) Emergency Preparedness & CPR/BLS

Required? CPR/BLS required for dentists and hygienists; OSHA requires an Emergency Action Plan and training. Sedation permit holders have additional requirements (ACLS/PALS, emergency CE).

Who? Dentists and hygienists (CPR mandatory); strongly recommend CPR for all clinical staff; everyone trained on the office emergency plan.

Frequency: CPR typically every 2 years; review emergency plan at hire and annually; run medical emergency drills yearly.

Accepted providers: CPR/BLS from AHA/Red Cross (or equivalent). ACLS/PALS for sedation providers from recognized providers.

CE overlap: Basic CPR does not count toward CE; some advanced emergency/sedation courses may.

Documentation to keep: Copies of current CPR cards (team tracker for expirations), ACLS/PALS for permit holders, drill/plan review sign-offs.

Include in training:

Roles during medical emergencies, AED use, emergency kit review

Mock codes (syncope, anaphylaxis, chest pain, airway issues)

Fire/evacuation, severe weather, workplace violence procedures

6) Controlled Substances & Prescribing (Opioids, PMP)

Required? Yes, for DEA-registered prescribers.

Who? Dentists who prescribe controlled substances.

Frequency & components:

One-time 2-hour Texas course on prescribing/monitoring controlled substances.

Recurring 4 hours every biennium on pain management/opioids/controlled substances (counts toward CE).

DEA one-time 8-hour training on OUD/SUD treatment/management (MATE Act) for DEA registration/renewal.

PMP checks required before prescribing opioids, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, or carisoprodol; annual self-query recommended/required per current guidance.

Accepted providers: ADA/TDA/AGD-accredited CE, dental schools, recognized opioid courses; DEA training via authorized providers.

CE overlap: All above count toward CE (within category limits); CPR still does not.

Documentation to keep: CE certificates; DEA 8-hour training proof/attestation; chart notes indicating PMP checked; internal policy for prescribing.

Include in training/policy:

First-line non-opioid regimens; indications for limited IR opioids

Dose/duration limits, co-prescribing cautions (e.g., benzos)

Recognizing drug-seeking behaviors; when/how to decline/referral

Patient communication: expectations, risks, storage/disposal, naloxone

Documentation standards and refill policy

Documentation & Recordkeeping — Quick Reference

• OSHA/BBP/HazCom/Infection control: agendas, rosters, certificates → keep ≥3 years.

• HIPAA/HB 300: signed acknowledgments, content outlines, policy versions → keep ~6 years.

• FWA/Compliance (payers): certificates/attestations → keep ≥5 years or per contract.

• CPR/ACLS/PALS: current cards on file; team expiration tracker.

• Controlled substances CE/DEA: CE certificates, DEA training proof, PMP usage in charts; keep ≥4 years for CE audits.

Written plans: Exposure Control Plan, Infection Control Protocols, Emergency Action Plan, HIPAA policies—review/update annually with sign-off.

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Annual Compliance Day: Knock out OSHA, infection control, HIPAA/HB300 in one scheduled session; document each topic separately.

New-hire checklist: OSHA/BBP, HIPAA/HB300 (within 90 days), infection control orientation, CPR scheduling, FWA if applicable.

Dentists (TX license renewal every 2 years)

Total hours & composition

24 hours every biennium. At least 16 hours must be technical/scientific (directly related to clinical care). Up to 8 hours may be risk-management (e.g., record-keeping, HIPAA, ethics), and up to 8 hours may be self-study from approved providers. OSHA and CPR do not count toward the 24 hours; practice finance doesn’t count.

Courses/topics that are specifically required

Human Trafficking Prevention (HHSC-approved) — required every renewal; counts within the 24 hours. (Starting Sept 1, 2025, TSBDE will accept only courses on the HHSC approved list.)

Pain management / opioids & controlled substances — ≥4 hours every biennium for dentists with direct patient care. Must cover reasonable standards of care, identifying drug-seeking behavior, and patient communication. These hours count toward the 16 technical/scientific hours.

Update/overlap: TSBDE counts the 2-hour controlled-substances course (see #3) toward this 4-hour pain-management requirement.

Controlled Substances: prescribing & monitoring — one-time 2-hour course for DEA-permitted dentists (deadline depended on when DEA authority was obtained; once completed, it doesn’t repeat). Counts toward CE and toward the 4-hour pain-management item above.

Jurisprudence Assessment — required every 4 years (this is in addition to the 24 hours and does not count as CE).

Sedation/anesthesia permit holders only — extra CE by permit level every 2 years (Level 1: 6 hrs; Levels 2–3: 8 hrs; Level 4: 12 hrs) plus an Anesthesia Jurisprudence Exam every 5 years. These are in addition to the standard CE.

Related (federal) requirement if you hold a DEA registration

DEA MATE Act — one-time 8-hour training on OUD/SUD and safe prescribing, required for DEA registration issuance/renewal (national requirement; may count as CE if the provider is CE-accredited).

DEA Diversion Control Division

FYI about a proposed rule: a 2024 proposal to reduce the 24-hour total by 2 hours for reading TSBDE newsletters was withdrawn in March 2025 (i.e., no reduction in place).

Dental Hygienists (TX license renewal every 2 years)

24 hours every biennium; at least 16 technical/scientific; up to 8 risk-management; up to 8 self-study; OSHA/CPR don’t count; practice finance doesn’t count.

Human Trafficking Prevention (HHSC-approved) — required every renewal; counts within 24 hours.

Jurisprudence Assessment — every 4 years (not CE).

No controlled-substance CE requirement for hygienists (PMP/DEA items apply to prescribers).