Free Live Webinars & Courses for Dental Continuing Education (CE)

Dental continuing education (CE) keeps dentists, hygienists, and assistants current on techniques and safety standards, and it is also how most professionals keep their licenses active. Credits can get expensive, but manufacturers, public health agencies, and nonprofits offer accredited courses and live webinars at no charge.

This article rounds up 10 sources of free or low-cost dental CE, from CDC infection control training to live webinars hosted by industry leaders. Keep reading to see what each one offers, how to confirm your state will accept the credits, and how to choose courses that fit your license and schedule.

Are There Free Live Webinars and Courses for Dental CE?

Yes, and the selection is larger than most people expect. Dental companies such as Colgate, Crest + Oral-B, and Hu-Friedy publish free CE libraries, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and nonprofits like CareQuest Institute for Oral Health offer free training on public health topics. Many of these providers mix live webinars, which let you ask questions in real time, with recorded courses you can finish whenever you have time.

Free does not always mean unrestricted, though. Some providers require a free account, certain credits are limited to live sessions, and a few sponsors use their courses to showcase products. Treat free CE as a practical way to cover part of your requirement, and pair it with paid options when you need a specific clinical skill.

Can You Earn Dental CE Credit for Free?

Yes, as long as the provider is recognized by an accrediting body. The two most common are the American Dental Association Continuing Education Recognition Program (ADA CERP) and the Academy of General Dentistry Program Approval for Continuing Education (AGD PACE), and many free providers hold at least one of them. Each course earns a certificate or credit record when you finish, usually after you pass a short post-test or complete an evaluation.

Accreditation does not guarantee that your state board will accept the hours. ADA CERP, for example, recognizes providers rather than individual courses, and state boards set their own rules on topics, formats, and the number of live versus self-study hours. Confirm what your board allows before you count any course toward renewal.

Best Free & Low-Cost Dental CE Webinars & Courses

The options below are ranked by overall value for licensed dental professionals who want accredited, flexible learning. Each entry notes whether sessions are live, on-demand, or both and how credit is awarded.

1. Colgate Oral Health Network – Live and On-Demand CE Webinars

Free registration at the Colgate Oral Health Network opens the door to more than 100 live and on-demand webinars, plus articles and podcast episodes, for dentists, hygienists, assistants, and students. You can filter by format, which makes it simple to find an upcoming live session or a recording that fits your schedule.

Each listed webinar carries 1 CE credit, and the network advertises over 200 free CE units in total. Credits come through Tribune Group GmbH, an approved AGD PACE provider, and a built-in CE tracker helps you keep tabs on your hours.

2. dentalcare.com (Crest + Oral-B) – Free Dental CE Courses

Procter & Gamble's Crest + Oral-B brands run dentalcare.com, a library of more than 150 free continuing education courses for dental professionals. You'll need to create an account and log in to take them.

The site is an approved PACE provider and is also approved by the American Academy of Dental Hygiene (AADH), and Procter & Gamble holds approval from several state dental boards. In certain states, completions are reported electronically to CE Broker, which can save you the step of uploading certificates yourself.

3. CDC – Foundations: Building the Safest Dental Visit

Infection prevention is a topic every dental team revisits, and this free, three-hour CDC course covers it from foundations through sterilization and waterline safety. Three modules walk through hand hygiene, personal protective equipment, sharps safety, safe injection practices, and environmental infection control.

The course runs through CDC TRAIN and earns a certificate of completion, and the Association for Dental Safety (ADS) offers three CE credits recognized by ADA CERP. You may need to register on the ADS website to claim them, but ADS membership isn't required.

4. CareQuest Institute for Oral Health – Free CE Webinars and Self-Paced Courses

CareQuest Institute for Oral Health offers free webinars and online learning on topics that connect oral and overall health, such as spotting oral signs of systemic disease. Sessions are scheduled in advance, and the self-paced courses let you learn on your own time.

CareQuest is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider, and CE credit is available for the live versions of its webinars and for its self-paced courses. Recognition does not guarantee that a state board will accept the hours, so confirm with yours before you count them.

5. Henry Schein (Viva Learning) – Free Live and On-Demand Dental Webinars

Viva Learning, offered through Henry Schein, makes premium webinar content free to watch on a computer or mobile device. The library holds more than 800 webinars across over 45 dental categories, from clinical techniques to products and equipment.

Live sessions can count toward the live-interactive requirement in most states, while recorded versions are intended for self-study hours. The program page doesn't name an accrediting body, so check with your state dental board before applying the credits to renewal.

6. Hu-Friedy – Free Live and On-Demand CE Webinars

Hu-Friedy provides free webinars led by industry experts, with a mix of live sessions and recorded courses. Topics include periodontal assessment and debridement, infection control, dental waterline management, aerosol safety, and restorative techniques.

Each course awards 0.5 to 1.5 CE credits after you pass a post-test. Hu-Friedy is an AGD PACE provider, though approvals run on set terms, so confirm its current status before you rely on the credits.

7. BIOLASE – Free Laser Dentistry Webinars

Hygienists curious about laser dentistry can start with BIOLASE's live webinars, which include a free introduction to diode lasers in dental hygiene, and its on-demand library, which is free to access. Sessions run over Zoom and require registration, and the surgical diode sessions are aimed mainly at owners of the company's Epic laser.

CE credit is available when indicated and for live sessions only, with webinar credits issued through the World Clinical Laser Institute (WCLI), a nationally approved PACE provider. Hands-on trainings carry a separate fee, so budget accordingly if you want to move beyond the free webinars.

8. Smiles for Life – National Oral Health Curriculum

Developed by the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Group on Oral Health, Smiles for Life is an interprofessional curriculum built from eight 60-minute modules. Three courses, Child Oral Health, Acute Dental Problems, and Geriatric Oral Health, are listed as free.

Score at least 80% on a course assessment and complete the feedback survey, and you can download a certificate. The page doesn't name a CE provider, so check whether your state board accepts the certificate before counting it toward renewal.

9. Dentsply Sirona Academy – Free and Pay-As-You-Go CE

Dentsply Sirona's online academy mixes free and fee-based continuing education, including live webinars, on-demand webinars, and self-paced courses. Topics range from local anesthesia and digital dentistry to endodontics, implants, and practice management.

Not every course awards credit, and some require a quiz or assignment first. Credit eligibility, accreditation, and price are listed on each course's detail page, so review them before you register.

10. Spear Education – Spear Online (Free Start)

Spear Online is a large library of on-demand clinical courses and practice management training, and you can register to start free without entering a credit card. The library targets the whole dental team, with staff training on patient communication, compliance, and office efficiency.

Spear is a nationally approved AGD PACE provider and displays the ADA CERP logo, though neither approval guarantees that a regulatory authority will accept the credits. Full access requires a paid membership with pricing available through an advisor, so treat the free start as a trial.

How We Rank Courses

To create this list, we compare dental CE providers on what their courses cost, how they're delivered, and who stands behind them. Each factor is weighed against the details published by the provider.

• Affordability: Providers with fully free libraries ranked highest, and any fees for certificates, hands-on training, or membership are noted in each entry.
• Online availability: Live webinars and on-demand courses that can be completed from home carried the most weight.
• Course provider reputation: Public health agencies, nonprofits, and providers holding ADA CERP or AGD PACE recognition received priority.

What You'll Learn in an Online Dental CE Course

Dental CE spans clinical topics, safety and compliance, and practice management, so the right course depends on your role. Hygienists often focus on periodontal care and preventive techniques, assistants on chairside procedures and infection control, and dentists on advanced clinical skills and technology. Topics you can expect to cover include:

• Infection prevention, sterilization, and waterline management
• Periodontal assessment and debridement techniques
• Local anesthesia, pain management, and emergency preparedness
• Digital dentistry, lasers, and other clinical technology
• Connections between oral health and systemic conditions
• Preventive care for children, older adults, and other patient groups
• Patient communication and treatment planning
• Compliance, safety standards, and practice management

How Much Do Online Dental CE Courses Cost?

The options above are free to start with, and most free libraries let you complete courses and record credit at no charge. Some providers charge only for extras, such as a formal certificate, hands-on sessions, or membership tiers. For example, BIOLASE lists hands-on trainings at roughly $395 to $495, and paid live webinars from CE publishers can run around $39 per session.

Costs rise when you need volume or specialty content. Paid subscriptions and memberships often bundle large libraries, but many providers publish pricing only on request, so ask before you commit. Because prices and offers change frequently, confirm current rates with each provider.

Who Should Consider Free Online Dental CE Courses?

Free CE suits licensed dentists, hygienists, and assistants who need renewal hours and want to keep costs down. It also helps dental office managers and team members who handle infection control, compliance, or patient communication and want training without a budget request.

Students and recent graduates can use free webinars to explore specialties before investing in advanced training. Professionals returning to the field after a break can also use them to refresh their knowledge while they decide which paid courses to take.

Career Outlook With Dental CE

Staying current through CE supports careers across dental offices and clinics. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, dental hygienists earn a median annual wage of $98,100, and employment is projected to grow 8% through 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations. Every state requires hygienists to be licensed, and licensed hygienists must complete continuing education to keep their credentials, so reliable CE sources are part of the job.

Dental assistants earn a median annual wage of $48,070, with employment projected to grow 7% through 2035. About 53,000 openings are expected each year, and documented training can help assistants stand out as they take on more responsibility.

How to Choose the Right Free Dental CE Courses Online

The best free CE matches your license type, your state's rules, and the skills you want to build. These steps can help you narrow the options before you register.

Confirm Your State Board's Rules

Boards set the number of hours, accepted topics, and limits on self-study or online credit. Check your board's website or ask its staff before you rely on any provider.

Check the Accreditation

Look for ADA CERP recognition, AGD PACE approval, or approval from your state board. Remember that accreditation applies to the provider, so it still helps to confirm that a specific course qualifies.

Decide Between Live and On-Demand

Live webinars let you interact with the presenter and are more likely to count toward live-participation requirements. On-demand courses give you flexibility but may fall under self-study limits.

Look at the Topics and Credit Hours

Choose courses that fit your role and that carry enough hours to make progress toward renewal. A one-hour webinar can fill a gap, while a multi-module course may cover a requirement such as infection control in one sitting.

Watch for Sponsored Content

Manufacturer-sponsored webinars can be valuable, but they often showcase the sponsor's products. Balance them with independent courses from public health agencies or nonprofits.

FAQs About Free Dental CE Webinars and Courses

These answers cover common concerns when you use free sources to meet your CE requirement. Always confirm the details with your state dental board before relying on any single provider.

What Happens if My State Doesn't Accept a Provider's Credits?

The board may reject the hours during renewal or an audit, which could leave you short of your requirement. Ask the board in advance, and if a provider isn't accepted, replace those hours with a course from an approved source before your deadline.

How Long Should You Keep CE Certificates?

Boards that audit licensees typically ask for proof from the most recent renewal cycle, and some require longer retention. Check your board's rule and keep a digital copy of every certificate in one folder.

Can Dental Assistants Use the Same Courses as Dentists and Hygienists?

Many courses are open to the whole dental team, but state rules differ on which topics and formats count for assistants. Confirm that a course is approved for your credential before you enroll.

Do Free Courses Count Toward Academy of General Dentistry Credit?

Courses from AGD PACE-approved providers can count toward AGD Fellowship, Mastership, and membership maintenance credit. Review the AGD's credit rules to confirm how many hours you can apply from each provider.

Are Manufacturer-Sponsored Courses Reliable?

Many are well produced and taught by experienced clinicians, but sponsors may emphasize their own products and techniques. Evaluate the evidence presented, and balance sponsored courses with independent sources.

Find Affordable Dental Programs and Training

Browse programs through Learn.org to compare dental hygiene, dental assisting, and other healthcare education options. Then contact schools directly to get personalized information about costs, program formats, and enrollment steps.