Questions and answers

Frequently asked questions

Everything you might want to know about our courses, credit, and how it all works.

What is The House of Hygiene?

An education platform for dental hygienists. Instead of slide-and-quiz CE, our courses are interactive, case-based games. You work through a realistic patient encounter, make clinical decisions, and learn the evidence behind each one.

Who are the courses for?

Licensed registered dental hygienists who want CE that isn't slide-and-quiz, and dental hygiene students who want realistic, case-based practice. Hygienists can start with our free cases or premium courses. Students should see the student track, including a free 50-question NBDHE diagnostic.

How do the interactive cases work?

You meet a patient, move through the appointment scene by scene, and make decisions at each step. You get immediate feedback, short teaching moments with cited evidence, and a knowledge check along the way. A final assessment unlocks your certificate of completion.

How do I get my certificate of completion?

Finish the course and pass the final assessment, which requires a score of 75 percent or higher. You then enter your name and receive a certificate of completion you can download and keep for your records.

Are there free courses?

Yes. Four full case-based courses are always free, no account or card required. They're a great way to experience the format before you consider premium courses or membership. See Free Cases.

How much do the paid courses cost?

Our four foundational cases are always free. Premium courses are $49 a la carte (2 CE hours each), or included with membership. Join the House membership is $19/month or $89/year; both include every free and premium course plus free admission to the live monthly webinar, and the yearly plan also includes the recorded webinar archive once one exists. Prefer just the live session on its own? That's $15 to drop in, free if you're a member.

What is the live webinar?

A monthly live session with the same case-based approach as our courses, but live and interactive, on a different medically-complex-patient topic each time. It runs the third Thursday of every month, 6:00-7:30pm MST; the first session is Thursday, July 16, 2026. Members attend free; everyone else can drop in for $15. See Webinar for the current topic and to reserve your spot.

Do your courses count for continuing education credit?

Not yet. Our courses are currently offered for professional development and self-study, and do not carry formal continuing education credit from ADA CERP or AGD PACE. We have a national AGD PACE approval application planned for late 2026; until it's granted, please confirm with your own board before relying on a course for a CE requirement. Read our full CE & Accreditation Disclosure for the complete picture.

Does self-study CE count toward my renewal, even before you're accredited?

Often, yes. Accreditation and self-study eligibility are two separate questions. Most state boards let hygienists count self-study, home-study, or correspondence coursework toward renewal whether or not the provider is ADA CERP or AGD PACE-approved; the question above is about whether a third party has reviewed us, not whether your state allows self-study hours at all. We checked every state's current rule: all 50 states plus DC allow at least some self-study CE, and the real variable is how much. Explore the map below, or get your exact state's citation on our eligibility checker before you buy.

Self-Study CE Eligibility by State
No meaningful cap (17 states) Capped / partial (34 states) Not allowed (0 states currently)
Self-study/home-study CE allowed Not allowed

States shown in green allow hygienists to submit self-study for CE. Always double-check your state practice act if you have any questions — boards update CE rules often, and caps shown here can change.

51 / 51
states + DC allow some self-study
17
allow unlimited self-study
34
cap self-study (often 33–50%)
State-by-state detail & sources ▾
StateSelf-studyWhat the rule actually saysSource
Alabama Unlimited Up to 12 of 12 hrs/yr may be self-study. Board site ↗
Alaska Unlimited No limit on self-study hours (20 hrs/2yr). Board site ↗
Arizona Capped Up to 15 of 45 hrs/3yr may be self-study. Board site ↗
Arkansas Unlimited No limit on self-study hours (40 hrs/2yr). Board site ↗
California Capped Up to 12.5 of 25 hrs/2yr (50%) may be self-study. Board site ↗
Colorado Capped Up to 15 of 30 hrs/2yr (50%) may be self-study. Board site ↗
Connecticut Unlimited All 16 hrs/2yr may be completed via online/distance courses (no cap). Board site ↗
Delaware Capped Up to 5 of 24 hrs/2yr may be self-study. Board site ↗
District of Columbia Capped Up to 8 of 15 hrs/2yr may be self-study. Board site ↗
Florida Unlimited Board-approved self-study permitted, no stated cap (24 hrs/2yr). Board site ↗
Georgia Capped Up to 11 of 22 hrs/2yr (50%) may be self-study. Board site ↗
Hawaii Capped Up to 10 of 20 hrs/2yr (50%) may be self-study. Board site ↗
Idaho Unlimited No limit on self-study hours (24 hrs/2yr). Board site ↗
Illinois Capped No more than 50% of 36 hrs/3yr via correspondence. Board site ↗
Indiana Capped Up to 9.5 of 19 hrs/2yr (50%) may be self-study. Board site ↗
Iowa Capped Up to 12 of 30 hrs/2yr may be self-study. Board site ↗
Kansas Unlimited No limit on self-study hours (30 hrs/2yr). Board site ↗
Kentucky Capped Up to 10–20 of 30 hrs/2yr may be self-study; at least 10 hrs must be live. Board site ↗
Louisiana Capped Up to 12 of 24 hrs/2yr may be self-study (6 must be live). Board site ↗
Maine Capped Up to 10 of 30 hrs/2yr may be self-study. Board site ↗
Maryland Capped Up to 17 of 30 hrs/2yr may be self-study. Board site ↗
Massachusetts Capped Up to 10 of 20 hrs/2yr (50%) may be self-study. Board site ↗
Michigan Capped Up to 10 of 36 hrs/3yr may be self-study (12 hrs must be live). Board site ↗
Minnesota Capped 10 of 25 hrs/2yr elective hours may be self-study. Board site ↗
Mississippi Capped Up to 5 of 20 hrs/2yr may be self-study. Board site ↗
Missouri Unlimited No limit on self-study hours (60 hrs/2yr). Board site ↗
Montana Unlimited All 36 hrs/3yr may be completed via home study. Board site ↗
Nebraska Capped Up to 10 of 30 hrs/2yr may be self-study. Board site ↗
Nevada Capped Up to 12 of 30 hrs/2yr may be self-study. Board site ↗
New Hampshire Capped Up to 4 of 20 hrs/2yr may be self-study. Board site ↗
New Jersey Capped Up to 10 of 20 hrs/2yr (50%) may be self-study. Board site ↗
New Mexico Capped Up to 30 of 45 hrs/3yr may be self-study. Board site ↗
New York Capped Up to 10 of 24 hrs/3yr may be self-study. Board site ↗
North Carolina Unlimited No limit on self-study hours (6 hrs/yr). Board site ↗
North Dakota Capped Up to 8 of 16 hrs/2yr (50%) may be self-study. Board site ↗
Ohio Unlimited Unlimited “supervised” self-study permitted (24 hrs/2yr). Board site ↗
Oklahoma Capped Up to 15 of 30 hrs/3yr (50%) may be self-study. Board site ↗
Oregon Unlimited No limit on self-study hours (24 hrs/2yr). Board site ↗
Pennsylvania Capped Up to 10 of 20 hrs/2yr (50%) may be self-study. Board site ↗
Rhode Island Unlimited No limit on self-study hours (20 hrs/2yr). Board site ↗
South Carolina Capped Up to 7 of 14 hrs/2yr (50%) may be self-study. Board site ↗
South Dakota Capped Up to 30 of 75 hrs/5yr may be self-study. Board site ↗
Tennessee Capped Up to 15 of 30 hrs/2yr (50%) may be self-study. Board site ↗
Texas Capped Up to 8 of 24 hrs/2yr (33%) may be self-study. Board site ↗
Utah Capped Up to 15 of 30 hrs/2yr (50%) may be self-study. Board site ↗
Vermont Capped Up to 15 of 18 hrs/2yr may be self-study. Board site ↗
Virginia Unlimited No limit on self-study hours (15 hrs/yr). Board site ↗
Washington Unlimited 5 hrs/yr unassessed self-study, plus unlimited “distance learning” (course w/ a test). Board site ↗
West Virginia Capped Up to 12 of 20 hrs/2yr may be self-study (10 supervised + 2 unsupervised). Board site ↗
Wisconsin Unlimited Unlimited self-study permitted — up to 90% of 12 hrs/2yr. Board site ↗
Wyoming Unlimited No limit on self-study hours (16 hrs/2yr). Board site ↗

Researched June 30, 2026 from the ADHA Division of Education's official CE summary, cross-checked against each state dental board's current regulations. This page is an educational reference, not legal advice — state boards revise CE rules regularly, so verify against your own state's practice act before relying on self-study hours for renewal.

What is your refund policy?

If you bought the NBDHE Study Set, you have a full, no-questions-asked 14-day guarantee, no conditions attached. For a CE course or membership, you can request a full refund within 14 days as long as you haven't completed the course or claimed a certificate; monthly membership can be canceled anytime (no refund for the current month already in progress). See our Refund Policy for the complete terms, including what happens if your state board won't accept a course.

What device do I need?

Any modern web browser on a computer, tablet, or phone. There is nothing to install.

Do I need an account?

No account or login required. You can browse and take any course freely; you'll provide your name and email when you claim a certificate, and your email at checkout if you buy a course or join as a member.

How do I contact you?

Email us anytime at contact@thehouseofhygiene.org. We read every message.