AZ Dental Jurisprudence cheat sheet

A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 11 governs dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants in Arizona; the State Board of Dental Examiners administers it.

Licensure categories include dentist, dental hygienist, and dental assistant (with levels such as coronal polishing and radiography certifications); each carries a defined scope.

A dentist may delegate procedures only to a person the dentist reasonably believes is qualified and legally authorized to perform them; the dentist retains responsibility for the patient.

Dental hygienists may perform supragingival scaling, root planing, and radiographs under general supervision as defined in statute and rule; local anesthesia requires additional certification.

General supervision means the dentist has authorized the procedure but need not be physically present; direct supervision requires the dentist on the premises.

Dental assistants perform intraoral expanded functions only with the certifications and training specified by Board rule; uncertified assistants are limited to extraoral and basic supportive tasks.

A person practicing dentistry or dental hygiene without a current Arizona license commits a class of offense and is subject to civil and criminal penalties.

Arizona participates in regional licensure examinations and recognizes certain clinical examinations for initial licensure; licensees must still meet Arizona-specific jurisprudence requirements.

The Board's rules are codified at A.A.C. Title 4, Chapter 11; they implement the Dental Practice Act and carry the force of law.

Rules specify application procedures, examination requirements, fees, and the documentation required for each license and certificate type.

The Board may deny, suspend, or revoke a license, impose probation, censure, or civil penalties, and require remedial education or treatment.

Grounds for discipline include unprofessional conduct, practicing outside scope, impairment, fraud in obtaining a license, and failure to comply with Board orders.

Licensees must report address changes and other required information to the Board within the timeframe set by rule.

The Board publishes notices of hearings and final disciplinary actions; these are public records available through the Board's office.

A licensee may request a hearing before an administrative law judge under the Administrative Procedure Act when the Board proposes adverse action.

Rule violations can be enforced independently of statutory violations, so conduct lawful under statute may still breach a Board rule.

Standard precautions apply to all patients regardless of known infection status; treat every patient as potentially infectious.

Hand hygiene with soap and water or an alcohol-based rub is required before and after patient contact and after glove removal.

Gloves, masks, eye protection, and gowns are worn when exposure to blood, saliva, or other potentially infectious material is anticipated.

Critical and semicritical instruments must be cleaned and then sterilized by steam autoclave, dry heat, or an equivalent validated method before reuse.

Sterilization effectiveness is verified with biological indicators (spore tests) at the interval required by rule, with results documented and retained.

Single-use items such as needles, scalpel blades, and certain barriers are discarded after one patient and never reprocessed.

Needles and sharps go into puncture-resistant, closable sharps containers; regulated medical waste is segregated, labeled, and disposed of per law.

A written exposure control plan, hepatitis B vaccination offer, and post-exposure evaluation are required elements of the office infection control program.

A treatment record must include patient identification, medical and dental history, diagnoses, treatment rendered, dates, and the identity of the provider.

Records must be legible, contemporaneous, and permanent; corrections are made by dated addendum, not by obliterating the original entry.

Informed consent requires disclosure of diagnosis, proposed treatment, material risks, alternatives, and the consequences of declining, documented in the record.

Consent for minors or incapacitated adults is obtained from a parent, legal guardian, or person authorized by law to consent.

Patient information is confidential; disclosure without authorization is permitted only for treatment, payment, operations, or as required by law.

Arizona law permits a patient or the patient's authorized representative to obtain copies of records; fees for copies are limited by statute.

Records must be retained for the period established by Board rule and statute; retention continues after a patient leaves the practice.

Releasing records in response to a subpoena requires a valid authorization or a court order, and the disclosure should be documented.

A dentist may prescribe only within the scope of dental practice and only after establishing a dentist-patient relationship with an appropriate evaluation.

Arizona prescribers must query the Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) before prescribing opioids and certain other controlled substances, per statute.

Schedule II controlled substances require a valid prescription meeting Arizona and federal requirements; DEA registration must be current and matched to the practice address.

Sedation levels are defined as minimal, moderate, and deep sedation/general anesthesia; each level carries distinct permit, training, and equipment requirements.

Moderate sedation requires a Board permit, appropriate training, monitoring of vital signs and oxygenation, and emergency drugs and equipment on site.

Deep sedation or general anesthesia requires a separate permit, advanced training, and continuous monitoring by qualified personnel.

Informed consent specific to sedation, including risks and fasting instructions, must be obtained and documented before administration.

Prescribing to oneself, family, or staff outside legitimate dental treatment, or excessive prescribing, constitutes unprofessional conduct.

Unprofessional conduct includes fraud, deceit, negligence, incompetence, practicing while impaired, and violating patient confidentiality.

Failure to maintain adequate records, abandoning a patient without notice, and billing fraud are enumerated grounds for discipline.

A licensee must report to the Board any licensee who is impaired or who has committed conduct that constitutes a danger to patients.

Hospitals, professional societies, and insurers may be required to report certain adverse actions or malpractice payments to the Board.

Disciplinary sanctions include revocation, suspension, probation, censure, restitution, civil penalties, and required continuing education.

A revoked or suspended licensee must cease practice; practicing during suspension is an independent violation.

The Board may impose summary suspension when continued practice presents an immediate danger to public health and safety.

Final Board orders are public and may be reported to national practitioner databases in accordance with federal law.

Dental licenses renew on a biennial cycle; renewal requires a completed application, fee payment, and attestation of continuing education.

Continuing education must include the subject areas and hour totals specified by Board rule, including infection control and recordkeeping topics.

A specified portion of required hours must address opioid prescribing, substance abuse, or pain management for prescribers.

CPR certification at the healthcare provider level must be current at renewal and is a condition of active licensure.

Licensees must maintain certificates of completion for continuing education for the period set by rule and produce them on Board request.

Late renewal may be permitted with an additional fee; practicing on an expired license is unlicensed practice.

Inactive or retired status may be available on request; reactivation typically requires demonstrating current competence and completing CE.

False attestation of continuing education hours is unprofessional conduct and grounds for discipline.