The dates that matter
- State dental licence. Your board sets the renewal cycle and the deadline, and renewal usually depends on completing your CE for the cycle. Cycles differ by state.
- DEA registration. Practitioner registrations renew every three years. Some states also require a separate state controlled-substance registration with its own date.
- BLS or CPR. Most offices and many boards expect a current card. American Heart Association BLS cards are generally renewed every two years.
- Malpractice cover. Whether the office covers you or you carry your own policy, know when it renews and keep the current declarations page. As a 1099 associate, it is often your own.
- Your CE cycle. Not a credential, but it decides your licence renewal, so its end date belongs on the same list.
Why associates in particular get caught
An owner has a front office that chases these dates for the whole practice. An associate, especially one working at more than one office or as a contractor, often has nobody but themselves. Offices also tend to ask for proof at awkward moments: when you start, when an insurance plan credentials you, or after something lapses.
A simple system that works
- One list, every expiry date. Not five reminder emails in five inboxes.
- Reminders well ahead. Sixty days out to start, thirty to finish, seven as the last call. Some renewals need paperwork or a course first.
- The renewal link next to each date, so renewing is one tap when the reminder comes.
- A copy of each current card or certificate somewhere you can send it from your phone.
- Update the date the day you renew. A list with stale dates is worse than none.
Store dates, not numbers
You do not need your licence number or DEA number sitting in an app to be reminded about them. A date is enough to count down from, and keeping the numbers themselves out of everyday tools is one less thing to worry about.
How cuspd does it
cuspd's Renewals page holds your licence, DEA, CPR and malpractice expiry dates, counts each one down, flags anything due in the next 90 days and keeps the renewal link beside it. In the iPhone app it can remind you 60, 30 and 7 days before a date and on the day. It stores dates only; there is no field for a licence or DEA number. CE hours have their own page, the CE tracker.