Infection control training and CE requirements by state

Most confusion here comes from mixing up three duties with three different schedules.

The federal yearly clock. Under OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard, training is provided at the time of initial assignment to tasks where occupational exposure may take place, and at least annually thereafter (OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030). The same standard says Annual training for all employees shall be provided within one year of their previous training (OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030).

The reprocessing clock. CDC's checklist for dental settings expects the staff who reprocess reusable dental instruments and devices to be trained upon hire, at least annually, and whenever new equipment or processes are introduced (CDC, Infection Prevention Checklist for Dental Settings).

The state clock for the dentist. This one is about the licensee's own continuing education, and it is where the four states below part company.

New York dentists must complete course work or training appropriate to their practice regarding infection control and barrier precautions, every four years according to Section 6505-b of the Education Law (New York Education Law §6505-b; NYSED infection control training page).

In the State Education Department's words, You must attest to having completed this requirement to the State Education Department on your first licensure/registration application and at every subsequent registration (NYSED infection control training page).

This page covers New York's training duty only. What the state's own rules say about spore testing and sterilizer records is on our New York dental sterilization rules page.

New Jersey puts a duty on the dentist to train the team: At least once every biennial renewal period, all licensed dentists shall provide or make available infection prevention education and training to all personnel involved in patient-related sterilization, patient care, and/or maintaining equipment (New Jersey rule 13:30-8.5A).

The dentist's own clock is separate: Two hours of continuing education in preventing and controlling infectious diseases and managing personnel health and safety concerns related to infection control in dental settings (New Jersey rule 13:30-5.1(e)1iii).

Both run on the board's biennial licensing period (New Jersey rule 13:30-8.5A; New Jersey rule 13:30-5.1(e)1iii). A board notice from April 2024 named the then-current period as November 1, 2023 through October 31, 2025 (New Jersey board CE notice); those dates have passed, so check the board's current notice.

This page covers New Jersey's training duties only. What the state's rules say about spore testing and sterilizer records is on our New Jersey dental sterilization rules page.

Georgia's rule is specific about both hours and content: 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 dentistry, which shall include education and training regarding dental unit water lines (Georgia Board of Dentistry rule 150-3-.09).

So two of the minimum continuing-education hours go to infection control, and waterline training sits inside those hours (Georgia Board of Dentistry rule 150-3-.09).

What the state's rules say about spore testing and sterilizer records is on our Georgia dental sterilization rules page.

Pennsylvania's continuing-education rule sets no infection-control training or CE requirement: the rule at 49 Pa. Code §33.401 does not mention infection control or sterilization (Pennsylvania Code 49 Pa. Code §33.401).

Its one mandated subject is a different one: All licensees and certificate holders shall complete 2 of the required hours of continuing education in approved courses on child abuse recognition and reporting (Pennsylvania Code 49 Pa. Code §33.401).

Read that narrowly. This page says only that the state's continuing-education rule is silent on infection control; it does not say Pennsylvania requires nothing on the subject anywhere (Pennsylvania Code 49 Pa. Code §33.401). What the state's rules say about spore testing and sterilizer records is on our Pennsylvania dental sterilization rules page.

The last column names each row's rule and the ID of the quoted passage in our source notes (for example OSHA-1).

A good training log answers three questions for any date: who was trained, on what, and by whom.

New York asks the dentist to attest to completed training at every registration (NYSED infection control training page). A good log keeps the date and the provider of the most recent course beside the registration date, so the attestation is a lookup rather than a hunt.

The dentist must provide or make available training at least once per renewal period (New Jersey rule 13:30-8.5A). A good log lists each session's date, its topic and the people who attended, so that "provided or made available" is easy to show.

Georgia's two hours must include waterline training (Georgia Board of Dentistry rule 150-3-.09). A good log records the hours taken and the topics covered, waterlines among them.

Because the federal training runs yearly (OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030), a good log shows each session's date, topic, trainer and attendees.

Dental Logbook will keep one training record per session — date, topic, trainer, attendees — and remind the office before the next session is due.

Florida is not in the sources behind this page. Florida's infection control training and continuing-education rules are not among the rule texts this guide is built from, so this page does not state them. This site's Florida dental sterilization rules page covers a different subject for Florida: spore testing, records and retention.

This page covers the federal rules and four states: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Georgia. For every other state it is silent; check that state's board.

This page covers training and continuing education only; what to test, record and keep for sterilizers is covered on the state pages linked above.