GA Dental Jurisprudence flashcards
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32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Georgia Board of Dentistry
- The regulatory body that licenses dentists and hygienists, adopts rules, investigates complaints, and imposes discipline under the Georgia Dental Practice Act.
- Practice of dentistry defined
- The diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of oral disease, including operations on the mouth, teeth, and jaws, and prescribing drugs or devices for those purposes.
- Unlicensed practice penalty
- A misdemeanor on a first offense and a felony on subsequent offenses; the Board may also seek injunctive relief and civil penalties.
- Dental license renewal cycle
- Georgia dental licenses expire on December 31 of odd-numbered years and must be renewed biennially; hygienists renew on the same cycle.
- Dentist CE requirement
- 40 hours of continuing education every two years, including at least 8 hours in infection control and 8 hours in controlled substance prescribing.
- Hygienist CE requirement
- 30 hours of continuing education every two years, including at least 8 hours in infection control, required for renewal.
- Direct supervision
- The dentist is physically present in the office and immediately available to the patient while a delegated procedure is performed.
- Indirect supervision
- The dentist has authorized the procedure and is available by phone but is not necessarily on site during the procedure.
- Standard of care
- The degree of care and skill ordinarily exercised by reasonably competent dentists in the same or similar community under similar circumstances.
- Hygienist local anesthesia
- May be administered by a certified hygienist under direct supervision after completing a Board-approved course of at least 30 hours of didactic and clinical training.
- CDC infection control guidelines
- The national standards for infection prevention in dental settings that Georgia dentists must follow, along with OSHA bloodborne pathogens rules.
- Biological monitoring frequency
- Spore testing of sterilizers must be performed at least weekly to verify that sterilization is effective.
- Critical instrument sterilization
- Handpieces and other intraoral instruments that are not disposable must be sterilized between patients by autoclave or another validated method.
- Hepatitis B vaccination offer
- Must be offered to all dental health care personnel within 10 working days of assignment, with annual bloodborne pathogen training.
- Schedule II prescriptions
- Must be written or electronically transmitted, may not be refilled, and require a current DEA and Georgia controlled substances registration.
- PDMP check requirement
- Georgia's Prescription Drug Monitoring Program must be checked before prescribing Schedule II opioids and benzodiazepines for the first time and in certain subsequent prescriptions.
- Controlled substance records
- A dentist must record all controlled substances dispensed, administered, or prescribed, including patient name, date, drug, strength, and quantity, and keep records at least 2 years.
- Bona fide dentist-patient relationship
- Required before prescribing controlled substances; prescribing to family members is generally prohibited except in emergencies.
- Patient record retention
- Records must be kept at least 7 years from the last treatment date, or until the patient reaches age 21, whichever is longer.
- Informed consent elements
- Must include the diagnosis, nature and purpose of proposed treatment, risks and benefits, and alternatives, including no treatment.
- Patient record access
- Patients have a right to copies of their dental records; the dentist must provide them within a reasonable time and may charge a reasonable copying fee.
- Confidentiality exception
- Disclosure without authorization is permitted only for treatment, payment, or health care operations, or as required by law.
- Truthful advertising
- Advertising must not be false, fraudulent, or deceptive; a dentist may not advertise as a specialist without board certification or eligibility.
- Fee splitting prohibition
- A dentist may not pay or receive a commission or fee for patient referrals, nor divide a fee with a non-dentist for dental services, except for bona fide employees or associates.
- Unprofessional conduct examples
- Includes practicing beyond scope, failing to maintain records, abandoning a patient, and practicing while impaired.
- Guarantee of results
- Prohibited in advertising; a dentist may not guarantee results or use testimonials that imply a guarantee of success.
- Board sanctions
- Include reprimand, probation, suspension, revocation, and fines for violations of the Act or Board rules.
- Mandatory reporting duty
- A dentist must report to the Board any unprofessional, incompetent, or impaired practice by another licensee that the dentist has personal knowledge of.
- Impaired practitioner referral
- A dentist impaired by alcohol or drugs may be referred to the Georgia Professionals Health Program; participation may be mandated as a condition of licensure.
- Adverse action reporting
- A dentist must report to the Board any adverse action taken by another state or licensing authority within 30 days.
- CE carryover limit
- A dentist may carry over a maximum of 10 excess continuing education hours to the next renewal period.
- CE certificate retention
- Certificates of completion for continuing education must be kept for at least 4 years and provided upon request by the Board.