Audience: dentists of all specialties, hygienists, practice owners, clinical directors, and CE coordinators.
Executive Summary
A quick pre-registration checklist prevents wasted time and money. Use the questions below to verify accreditation and recognition, confirm outcomes and format, assess hands-on quality, understand logistics and costs, and ensure you will receive the post-course support and documentation you need. There is also a simple two-minute vetting workflow and a one-page checklist you can save.
When a Live Course Is the Right Choice
- Hands-on: choose live hands-on when you need tactile reps, faculty feedback, and step-by-step protocols.
- Lecture or case-based: choose when you need diagnostic frameworks or treatment planning depth.
- Live virtual: choose when you need real-time Q&A and interactivity without travel.
Avoid common mistakes: chasing trendy topics that do not match your goals, or skipping prerequisites and equipment requirements.
The 12 Questions
A. Accreditation and Compliance
- Is the provider recognized by ADA CERP or AGD PACE, and are dates current?
- Does this course satisfy any state-mandated topics or format rules I need this cycle?
B. Learning Outcomes and Format
- What are the measurable learning objectives and competencies?
- Is the format aligned to my goal: hands-on (live patient or typodont), lecture, live virtual, or hybrid?
C. Hands-On Quality and Faculty Access
- What is the faculty-to-learner ratio, and how many supervised reps will I get?
- What baseline skills or prerequisites are expected, and are they realistic for me and my team?
D. Evidence, Independence, and Disclosures
- Is the content evidence-based with transparent commercial disclosures?
- Are cases documented well (photos, steps, settings, outcomes, complications)?
E. Logistics, Cost, and ROI
- What is the total cost of attendance (tuition, travel, downtime, consumables, equipment)?
- What is the cancellation, refund, and transfer policy and any early-bird or waitlist terms?
F. Post-Course Support and Documentation
- What post-course resources are provided (checklists, protocols, mentorship, billing codes, recordings)?
- How and when will I receive my certificate and credit details, and what documentation is provided for audits?
Two-Minute Vetting Workflow
- Open the ADA CERP or AGD PACE provider directory and search by the organization’s legal name.
- Verify recognition dates are current and the name matches the course marketing page.
- Scan the syllabus for objectives, hours, disclosure policy, and certificate details.
- Save PDFs or screenshots of the directory entry and syllabus into your CE folder before checkout.
Red Flags to Watch For
- Vague objectives, heavy product promotion, or missing disclosure policy.
- No stated hands-on ratio or unclear prerequisites.
- Lapsed or missing recognition dates; provider name mismatch.
- Ambiguous refund policy or “certificate upon request” language.
Example Scenarios
GP adding a soft-tissue procedure
Look for small cohorts, mentored repetitions, device-agnostic content, and post-course checklists and settings guides.
Hygienist updating perio instrumentation
Choose courses with supervised reps, clear decontamination protocols, and competency criteria; confirm certificate details.
Specialty track (endo, implant, airway)
Confirm case selection criteria, documentation templates, and billing codes. Verify that hours and format match any mandated rules.
Implementation Prep Before You Attend
- Draft a supply and equipment list; confirm sterilization and inventory steps.
- Update consent and post-op instructions and chart templates.
- Book 3 to 5 conservative candidate cases with inclusion criteria.
- Plan a 30, 60, 90 day rollout and assign owners for KPIs.
The One-Page Checklist
- Provider recognized by ADA CERP or AGD PACE (dates verified).
- Meets any state-mandated topics or format rules.
- Clear learning objectives and competencies.
- Right format for my goal: hands-on, lecture, live virtual, or hybrid.
- Faculty-to-learner ratio and promised supervised reps are acceptable.
- Prerequisites and equipment requirements are realistic.
- Evidence-based content with transparent disclosures; strong case documentation.
- Total cost of attendance calculated; refund and transfer policy confirmed.
- Post-course resources and mentorship included.
- Certificate delivery and audit documentation are clear.
Conclusion and Next Steps
Choose live CE with intent. Verify recognition, confirm outcomes and format, and protect your ROI with solid hands-on quality, clear policies, and real post-course support. Use the checklist above before you pay, and set up your 30, 60, 90 day follow-through so new skills become reliable chairside workflows.
Browse upcoming live courses by topic, format, and location on CE Crowd and download the one-page checklist (PDF).
