Dentistry CE · United States and Canada · for providers
ADA CERP certificate requirements for dental CE providers
ADA CERP does not call it a certificate. It calls it a verification of participation, and it must not look like a diploma. Here are the seven items it must show, the recognition statement word for word, how to count credits, and how long to keep records. Checked against the ADA CERP Recognition Standards 2026, in force since 1 June 2026.
Short answer · checked 30 October 2026
An ADA CERP verification of participation must show the provider’s name, the participant’s name, the activity title, the dates, hours and location (or the completion date for self-study), the educational format, the number of credits awarded, and the complete ADA CERP recognition statement with the complaints notice. It must not resemble a diploma. Keep participation records for at least 6 years.
- Required elements
- 7
- Issue deadline
- None set. Issue on completion.
- Keep participation records
- At least 6 years
- Central reporting system
- None
New to CE?
How continuing education works, in one line
New to CE?
How continuing education works, in one line
Accreditor
Sets the rules and approves providers.
Provideryou
Runs the course and issues the certificate.
Learner
Completes the course and keeps the certificate.
Board
Renews the licence and may audit the certificate.
- Recognized provider
- An organization ADA CERP has checked and allowed to award dental CE credits in its own name. ADA CERP recognizes organizations, never single courses.
- Verification of participation
- ADA CERP’s name for the document you give a learner after an activity. Most people call it a certificate. ADA CERP says it must not look like a diploma.
- CE credit
- The unit of dental CE. One credit is 60 minutes of instruction. Credits are given in steps of 0.25 (15 minutes).
- Self-study activity
- An on-demand activity the learner completes alone, at any time: a recorded webinar, an online course, a journal article. Also called asynchronous.
- Joint providership
- A recognized provider sharing an activity with another organization under a signed letter of agreement. The recognized provider stays responsible.
- CCEPR
- The Commission for Continuing Education Provider Recognition. The ADA body that runs ADA CERP and takes complaints.
Who this applies to
Providers under ADA CERP, and the learners they serve
Providers
- Organizations recognized by ADA CERP as providers of continuing dental education, in the United States, Canada and abroad
- Non-recognized organizations that jointly provide an activity with a recognized provider, under a signed letter of agreement
487 recognized providers (ADA News, October 2024) · CCEPR list of ADA CERP recognized providers
Learners
Dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants and other dental professionals who need CE credits for licence renewal.
The 7 elements
What the certificate must show
Each number on the sample matches one element ADA CERP requires. The list says where the rule is written and which Hyperstack field fills it.
- 1
Name of the CE provider
The recognized provider’s name. The example forms also show the address, phone and email, but the policy asks only for the name.
Example: Lakeshore Dental Institute
In Hyperstack: set once in the templateADA CERP Recognition Standards 2026, Policy on Awarding Credit (a), p. 14
- 2
Name of the participant
The learner who completed the activity.
Example: Dr. Priya N. Raman, DDS
In Hyperstack:
[recipient_name]ADA CERP Recognition Standards 2026, Policy on Awarding Credit (b), p. 14 - 3
Title of the CE activity
The activity title. If the title does not say what the subjects were, add them.
Example: Managing Medical Emergencies in the Dental Office
In Hyperstack:
[group_title]ADA CERP Recognition Standards 2026, Policy on Awarding Credit (c), p. 14 - 4
Dates, hours and location
For a live activity: the dates, the hours and the place. For a self-study activity: the date this learner completed it.
Example: 14 October 2026, 9:00 am – 12:15 pm · Lakeshore Dental Institute, Chicago, IL
In Hyperstack:
[custom_activity_dates]ADA CERP Recognition Standards 2026, Policy on Awarding Credit (d), p. 14 - 5
Educational format
How the activity was delivered: in-person lecture, hands-on participation, live webinar, on-demand webinar, online self-study, and so on.
Example: In-person lecture
In Hyperstack:
[custom_format]ADA CERP Recognition Standards 2026, Policy on Awarding Credit (e), p. 14 - 6
Number of credits awarded
The credits this learner earned. For a conference or an extended program, list each session with its own credits.
Example: 3 CE credits
In Hyperstack:
[custom_ce_credits]ADA CERP Recognition Standards 2026, Policy on Awarding Credit (f), p. 14 - 7
ADA CERP recognition statement with complaints notice
The complete authorized statement, word for word, with your provider name in it. The sentence on complaints is part of it.
Example: Lakeshore Dental Institute is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider. ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry. Concerns or complaints about a CE provider may be directed to the provider or to the Commission for Continuing Education Provider Recognition at CCEPR.ADA.org.
In Hyperstack: set once in the templateADA CERP Recognition Standards 2026, Policy on Awarding Credit (g), p. 14, and Regulations Governing the Recognition Process §6.b, p. 20
Exact wording
The statements, word for word
ADA CERP has 3 wordings. Use the one that fits your approval and your activity. Copy it, do not retype it.
Verification of participation and course materials
[Provider name] is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider. ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry. Concerns or complaints about a CE provider may be directed to the provider or to the Commission for Continuing Education Provider Recognition at CCEPR.ADA.org.
This is the statement for the certificate. It also goes in course materials the learner sees during the activity: program guides, evaluation forms, self-study instructions. Use all three paragraphs. Do not shorten them, and do not use the old wording “ADA CERP at ada.org/cerp”: the current notice names the Commission and CCEPR.ADA.org.
ADA CERP Recognition Standards 2026, Regulations Governing the Recognition Process §6.b, p. 20Publicity materials (with credit designation)
[Provider name] is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider. ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry. [Provider name] designates this activity for [number of credit hours] continuing education credits.
For brochures, web pages and emails that advertise the course. The last sentence states the credits on offer. It is not required on the certificate, but many providers add it.
ADA CERP Recognition Standards 2026, Regulations Governing the Recognition Process §6.a, p. 20Joint providership (added to the statement above)
This continuing education activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the standards of the ADA Continuing Education Recognition Program (ADA CERP) through joint efforts between [Name of CERP recognized provider] and [Name of joint provider].
Use it together with the full recognition statement, not instead of it, on publicity, course materials and every verification of participation for a jointly provided activity. The recognized provider’s name goes in the recognition statement.
ADA CERP Joint Providership Policy, §4, Standards 2026 pp. 15–16How credit is counted
Minutes in, CE credits out
The unit
1 CE credit = 60 minutes
Credits are based on the actual length of instruction time, including Q&A periods and any mandatory self-assessment. Breaks, meals, registration periods and general business do not count. Self-study credits are a good-faith estimate of the time an average participant needs to complete the activity.
ADA CERP Recognition Standards 2026, Policy on Calculating Credits, p. 14; Calculating CE Credits FAQs, May 2026Rounding
Award in steps of 0.25 credits (15 minutes). Round to the nearest quarter hour. No credit at all for an activity shorter than 15 minutes. Where a state defines a credit hour as 50 minutes, a 50-minute activity may be designated 1 credit there.
Worked example
95 minutes ÷ 60 = 1.58, nearest quarter = 1.5 (ADA CERP’s own example)
95 minutes → 1.5 CE credits
95 ÷ 60, to the nearest 0.25. Instruction time only. Below 15 minutes there is no credit.
Timeline
From the last slide to the audit file
Activity
Day 0
The learner completes the activity. You may ask for an evaluation or a completion code first, but ADA CERP does not require either.
Certificate
On completion
Issue the verification of participation to learners who complete the activity. ADA CERP sets no deadline in days.
Report
Not required
ADA CERP has no system for reporting learners. The learner reports to their own board. Some states run their own tracking system.
Records
At least 6 years
Keep accurate records of who took part. Keep planning and presentation files for each course for the whole of your current recognition term.
Right and wrong
The same certificate, two ways
The lines on the left are the mistakes auditors find most. The lines on the right are the fix.
Fails an audit
Lakeshore Dental Institute
Dr. Priya N. Raman, DDS
- Approved by the American Dental Association
- Concerns or complaints … may be directed to the provider or to ADA CERP at ada.org/cerp.
- Certificate of Advanced Proficiency in Implant Dentistry
- Periodontal Update — 2 CE credits
- Spring Dental Conference — 12 CE credits
- Date: 1 March 2026 (release date of the recorded webinar)
Passes an audit
Lakeshore Dental Institute
Dr. Priya N. Raman, DDS
- Lakeshore Dental Institute is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider. ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry. Concerns or complaints about a CE provider may be directed to the provider or to the Commission for Continuing Education Provider Recognition at CCEPR.ADA.org.
- Concerns or complaints about a CE provider may be directed to the provider or to the Commission for Continuing Education Provider Recognition at CCEPR.ADA.org.
- Verification of participation: Implant Site Preparation, a hands-on participation course
- Periodontal Update · Live webinar · 2 CE credits
- Session ABC, 15 Oct 2026, 1–4 pm, Lecture, 2 credits · XYZ Workshop, 16 Oct 2026, 9 am–3 pm, Participation, 3 credits
- Completed: 14 October 2026
- 1. ADA CERP recognizes providers, not courses. The statement must appear complete and word for word.
- 2. The complaints notice was reworded. The Standards 2026 name the Commission and CCEPR.ADA.org.
- 3. The document must not resemble a diploma, and must not attest to a skill, a specialty or an advanced educational status.
- 4. The educational format is a required element.
- 5. For a large conference or an extended program, list each session with its own credits.
- 6. For a self-study activity the document shows the learner’s completion date.
Digital
Electronic certificates and badges
Electronic certificates
ADA CERP does not say whether the verification of participation must be paper or electronic. Its example forms are letter-style documents. Any format must show all seven elements and must not resemble a diploma.
Digital badges
ADA CERP says nothing about digital badges. A badge on its own does not carry the seven elements, so it cannot replace the verification of participation.
ADA CERP Recognition Standards 2026, Policy on Awarding Credit, p. 14; ADA CERP Policy on Awarding Credit: Examples of Forms for Issuing CE Credits
Records and other rules
What else ADA CERP checks
Keep participation records for at least 6 years
The Record Keeping policy asks for accurate records of each learner’s participation for at least six years, and the planning and presentation files for each course for the whole of your current recognition term. The records help learners meet their boards’ reporting rules and help you with the annual report, continued recognition and complaints. Hyperstack keeps every issued certificate, its verification page and its audit log for the life of your account and after you cancel.
ADA CERP Recognition Standards 2026, Policy on Record Keeping, p. 15It must not look like a diploma
The document must not resemble a diploma, and must not attest, or appear to attest, to a specific skill, a specialty or an advanced educational status. Design it so the public and colleagues cannot misread it. Call it a verification of participation, keep the course title factual, and do not add words like “certified in” or “proficiency”.
ADA CERP Recognition Standards 2026, Policy on Awarding Credit, p. 14Joint providership
A recognized provider may share an activity with one or more other providers under a signed letter of agreement. Responsibility for compliance stays with the recognized provider. A commercial interest may not be a joint provider (since 1 July 2023). All printed materials for the activity, including every verification of participation, carry the recognition statement plus the joint providership statement.
ADA CERP Recognition Standards 2026, Joint Providership Policy, pp. 15–16; ADA CERP Policies and Definitions Related to Joint Providership (1 July 2023 note)Self-study and recorded activities
A recording of a live event is a separate self-study activity. Show the learner’s completion date, not the release date. Publish the release date, the review date and the expiration date on the activity itself, and review it at least every three years.
ADA CERP Recognition Standards 2026, Policy on Awarding Credit (d), p. 14, and Policy on Periodic Review of Self-Study Activities, p. 14Partial credit
ADA CERP has no written rule on partial credit. The policy says verification goes to learners who complete an activity, and credits are based on the actual length of instruction. For conferences, list each session the learner attended with its own credits, so a learner who misses a session is not given credit for it.
ADA CERP Recognition Standards 2026, Policy on Awarding Credit (f), p. 14, and Policy on Calculating Credits, p. 14No signature is required
The Awarding Credit policy does not ask for a signature. ADA CERP’s example forms do show a “Verified by” line with a name and job title, so many providers add one. If you add it, set it once in the design.
ADA CERP Policy on Awarding Credit: Examples of Forms for Issuing CE CreditsThe logo is optional, the statement is not
Only recognized providers may use the ADA CERP logo or name. The logo may only appear together with the authorized recognition statement, may not be larger or more prominent than your own name, and may not suggest that ADA CERP or the ADA approved the course or the credits. Non-recognized joint providers may not use the logo or statement on their own.
ADA CERP Recognition Standards 2026, Regulations Governing the Recognition Process §8, p. 21State boards decide what they accept
The statement itself says ADA CERP does not imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry. All US and Canadian licensing jurisdictions with CE rules accept credits from recognized providers, but each may add its own conditions, for example reporting in whole hours or a 50-minute credit hour. Tell learners to check with their board.
ADA CERP recognition process page; Calculating CE Credits FAQs, May 2026Before you send
The audit checklist, to tick or print
ADA CERP certificate checklist0/12
How to do it in Hyperstack
Three steps to a compliant certificate
- 1
Open the ADA CERP template
The template has a place for every element on this page. Add your logo and your 2 fixed elements once.
- Name of the CE provider
- ADA CERP recognition statement with complaints notice
- 2
Map your columns
Upload a spreadsheet or connect your LMS. Each column fills one element for every learner.
- [recipient_name]
- [group_title]
- [custom_activity_dates]
- [custom_format]
- [custom_ce_credits]
- 3
Issue and keep the record
Every learner gets an email, a verification page and a QR code. The record stays for as long as the rules need it.
- Verification page
- QR code
- Audit log
- Kept 6 years and beyond
Free template
An ADA CERP-ready certificate, with all 7 elements in place
Set your provider details once. Names, dates and CE credits fill in for every learner. Each certificate gets a verification page and QR code.
FAQ
ADA CERP certificates, answered
Because the document only confirms that a learner took part and earned credits. ADA CERP says it must not resemble a diploma and must not look like proof of a skill, a specialty or an advanced status. You can design a handsome document, but the title and wording must stay factual.
Yes. The Standards call it the authorized statement and require it on every verification of participation and in course materials. Use all three paragraphs: the recognized provider line, the ADA CERP description, and the complaints notice that names the Commission for Continuing Education Provider Recognition at CCEPR.ADA.org.
No. The statement is required; the logo is optional. If you use the logo, it must sit with the statement, must not be larger or more prominent than your own name, and must not suggest the ADA approved the course.
Count instruction time only, including Q&A and any mandatory self-assessment, and leave out breaks, meals and registration. Award in steps of 0.25 credits, rounded to the nearest quarter hour. An activity under 15 minutes earns nothing. For self-study, estimate in good faith how long an average learner needs.
One document can cover them all, but it must list each session with its title and its own credits. ADA CERP’s second example form is a transcript-style table with the session, date, hours, instructor, activity type and credits.
No. ADA CERP does not require a post-course evaluation as a condition for the verification of participation. You may choose to make it a condition. ADA CERP does require you to measure changes in learners’ knowledge, performance or practice across your program.
No. ADA CERP has no learner reporting system. You send ADA CERP a short annual report about your organization and its activities. Learners report their credits to their own board, and some states run their own tracking systems.
Participation records for at least six years. Planning and presentation files for each course for the whole of your current recognition term. A certificate link that never expires saves you from repeat requests when a learner loses the document.
Sources
Read from American Dental Association Continuing Education Recognition Program documents on 30 October 2026. This page is a guide, not legal advice. Your accreditation manual and your licensing board have the final word. Something out of date? Tell us.
Changes to this page
- 2026-10-30Page written from the ADA CERP Recognition Standards 2026 (June 2026) and the Policy on Awarding Credit examples.
- 1ADA CERP Recognition Standards 2026: Criteria, Standards for Integrity and Independence, Policies, and Procedures (June 2026)Publicity criterion 2.6 (p. 8); policies on periodic review of self-study, calculating credits and awarding credit (p. 14); record keeping and joint providership (pp. 15–16); authorized statements §6 (p. 20); logo rules §8 (p. 21); glossary (pp. 33–37).
- 2ADA CERP Policy on Awarding Credit: Examples of Forms for Issuing CE CreditsThe policy text and two example forms: a single activity and a multi-session transcript.
- 3Calculating CE Credits FAQs (May 2026)15-minute minimum, rounding to the nearest quarter hour, the 95-minute example and the 50-minute state exception.
- 4FAQs: ADA CERP Recognition Standards 2026 (February 2026)Evaluation is not a condition for issuing the verification (Standard 4 question).
- 5ADA CERP Policies and Definitions Related to Joint ProvidershipJoint providership policy, the joint providership statement and the 1 July 2023 commercial interest rule.
- 6ADA CERP Guidance on Online CE Activities (10 March 2021)Verification document for online activities. Written under the previous standards; its standard numbers (VI.8–9) are no longer current.
- 7CCEPR: ADA CERP Standards pageCurrent and previous standards, in force dates, policy links.
- 8CCEPR: resources for CE providersAwarding credit policy, recognition statements, logo guidelines, credit calculation.
- 9CCEPR: ADA CERP glossary
- 10CCEPR: view CE providersThe provider directory and what CCEPR does not approve.
- 11CCEPR: ADA CERP recognition processAcceptance of credits by US and Canadian licensing jurisdictions.
- 12ADA News: ADA commission adopts revised CE standards (8 October 2024)Provider count (487) and the 1 June 2026 effective date.
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