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LA Dental Hygiene Jurisprudence study materials
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LA Dental Hygiene Jurisprudence practice questions

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Question 1Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

In Louisiana, which individual is authorized to perform a dental prophylaxis and apply topical fluoride as part of a dental hygiene service?

  1. A dental assistant with on-the-job training
  2. An uncertified office receptionist
  3. A dental student visiting from another state
  4. A licensed dental hygienist Correct answer.

Explanation

The Louisiana Dental Practice Act reserves prophylaxis and topical fluoride application to licensed dental hygienists and dentists. Dental assistants may perform only the expanded functions the Board specifically authorizes, and routine prophylaxis is not one of them. Unlicensed personnel cannot provide these services under any supervision level.

Question 2Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

Under the Louisiana Dental Practice Act, a dental hygienist who wishes to practice must hold a license issued by which authority?

  1. The local parish health unit
  2. The Louisiana State Board of Dentistry Correct answer.
  3. The American Dental Hygienists' Association
  4. The Louisiana Department of Health

Explanation

The Louisiana State Board of Dentistry is the regulatory body that licenses and disciplines dental hygienists under the Dental Practice Act. The Department of Health and parish units are public health agencies, not licensing boards. Professional associations such as ADHA are voluntary membership organizations with no licensing authority.

Question 3Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A dental hygienist's license in Louisiana comes up for renewal. Which statement describes the continuing education obligation tied to renewal?

  1. Continuing education is required only for hygienists who have been disciplined
  2. Licensees must document completion of the Board-required continuing education hours for each renewal period Correct answer.
  3. Continuing education hours may be waived for any hygienist employed full time
  4. Continuing education is voluntary and reported only upon Board request

Explanation

Louisiana conditions license renewal on completing the continuing education hours the Board requires for the renewal cycle, and licensees must retain documentation. The requirement applies to all active licensees, not only those with disciplinary history. It is not optional and cannot be waived simply because the hygienist works full time.

Question 4Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A patient asks a Louisiana dental hygienist to explain how their records are protected. Which law primarily governs the confidentiality of a patient's dental records in the state?

  1. The state's professional advertising regulations
  2. Federal antitrust statutes
  3. Municipal zoning ordinances
  4. State law and Board rules recognizing the patient's interest in the confidentiality of dental records Correct answer.

Explanation

Louisiana law and Board rules recognize that patients have a protected interest in the confidentiality of their dental records and set conditions for release. Antitrust law addresses restraint of trade, not record privacy. Advertising rules and zoning ordinances do not govern patient record confidentiality.

Question 5Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

Which term describes the Louisiana Board action that temporarily suspends a hygienist's license before a full hearing when the Board finds an immediate threat to public safety?

  1. Probation
  2. Summary suspension Correct answer.
  3. Reprimand
  4. Voluntary surrender

Explanation

A summary suspension is an emergency action that halts practice before a final adjudication when the Board finds immediate risk to the public. Voluntary surrender is the licensee's own relinquishment of the license. Probation and reprimand are lesser sanctions imposed through the disciplinary process.

Question 6Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist is hired at a new practice. Before treating patients there, the hygienist must ensure which of the following is in place?

  1. An active Louisiana dental hygiene license and compliance with Board supervision requirements Correct answer.
  2. A separate business license for the hygiene services
  3. A teaching certificate from a dental school
  4. Membership in a professional hygiene association

Explanation

Practice requires a current Louisiana dental hygiene license plus adherence to the Board's rules on supervision and practice settings. A business license for the hygiene services and association membership are not licensure conditions. A teaching certificate is unrelated to clinical practice authority.

Question 7Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana dental hygienist wants to use the title 'Registered Dental Hygienist' in advertising. What does the Board require?

  1. The hygienist must hold a current license and use the title accurately without misleading claims Correct answer.
  2. The title may be used by anyone who completed a hygiene program
  3. The title requires no license as long as the word 'registered' appears
  4. The title may be used while a license application is pending

Explanation

Use of a professional title is limited to licensees and must not mislead the public about credentials. Completing a program without licensure does not confer the title. A pending application does not authorize use of the title, and adding the word 'registered' does not substitute for a license.

Question 8Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

Which body has the authority to adopt rules that interpret and implement the Louisiana Dental Practice Act?

  1. The state dental hygiene association
  2. The parish sheriff
  3. The state legislature alone
  4. The Louisiana State Board of Dentistry Correct answer.

Explanation

The legislature enacts the Dental Practice Act, and the Board adopts rules to implement and interpret it. The Board's rules carry regulatory force for licensees. A sheriff's office and a professional association have no rulemaking authority over dental practice.

Question 9Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana dentist delegates supragingival scaling to a hygienist. Under Board rules, which element must accompany that delegation?

  1. Approval from the patient's medical insurer
  2. A second opinion from another dentist
  3. A written waiver signed by the patient each visit
  4. Appropriate supervision consistent with the setting and the patient's condition Correct answer.

Explanation

Delegation of hygiene services requires the supervision level the Board rules specify for that setting and patient condition. Patient waivers, insurer approval, and second opinions are not Board prerequisites for delegated hygiene care. The supervising dentist remains responsible for the overall treatment plan.

Question 10Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A hygienist in a Louisiana public health setting provides screening and fluoride varnish to children. Which statement best reflects how the Board treats such public health services?

  1. Board rules recognize defined public health practice settings with their own supervision and authorization conditions Correct answer.
  2. Public health services may be performed by any trained volunteer without oversight
  3. Public health services require no license because they are preventive
  4. All public health hygiene services are prohibited outside a private dental office

Explanation

The Dental Practice Act and Board rules recognize public health settings and specify the conditions, supervision, and authorizations that apply there. These services are not prohibited outside private offices, and licensure is still required. Volunteers without licensure cannot perform clinical hygiene services.

Question 11Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A patient requests a copy of their dental records from the practice where a Louisiana hygienist works. What is the correct understanding of the patient's rights?

  1. Records may be released only to another dentist
  2. The patient has no right to records because the dentist owns them
  3. The patient has a recognized interest in accessing their records, subject to the conditions set by state law and Board rules Correct answer.
  4. Records may be released only with a court order

Explanation

Louisiana law and Board rules recognize the patient's interest in their dental records and set the conditions for access and release. Ownership of the physical record does not eliminate the patient's access rights. A court order or transfer to another dentist is not the only lawful route to release.

Question 12Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist suspects a colleague is practicing while impaired. Which action aligns with the Board's expectations for licensees?

  1. Post the concern on social media to warn patients
  2. Confront the colleague publicly in the office
  3. Report the concern to the Board through its established complaint process Correct answer.
  4. Ignore the concern to avoid interfering with another licensee

Explanation

The Board maintains a complaint process for reporting conduct that may endanger patients, and licensees are expected to use it. Public confrontation, silence, and social media posting do not protect patients and may create legal exposure. Reporting through the Board allows an orderly investigation.

Question 13Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist moves from one dental office to another. What is required regarding the license itself?

  1. The license remains valid statewide, but the hygienist must notify the Board of changes the Board requires Correct answer.
  2. The hygienist must obtain a new license for each parish
  3. The hygienist must retake the clinical examination
  4. The hygienist must surrender the license and reapply

Explanation

A Louisiana dental hygiene license authorizes practice statewide and does not need to be reissued for each parish. The Board does require licensees to keep certain information, such as address, current. Retaking examinations or reapplying is not required for a routine change of employer.

Question 14Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana dentist asks a hygienist to perform a task that the hygienist believes exceeds the hygiene scope of practice. What is the appropriate response?

  1. Perform the task because a dentist directed it
  2. Perform the task and document the dentist's instruction
  3. Ask a dental assistant to perform the task instead
  4. Decline the task and confirm the scope question with the Board before proceeding Correct answer.

Explanation

A hygienist is personally accountable for staying within the licensed scope of practice, and a dentist's instruction cannot expand that scope. The hygienist should decline and verify the question with the Board. Delegating the task to an assistant does not resolve the scope problem and may compound it.

Question 15Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

Which situation would most likely support Board discipline against a Louisiana dental hygienist?

  1. Declining to treat a patient who misses multiple appointments
  2. Referring a patient to a specialist
  3. Attending a continuing education course outside Louisiana
  4. Practicing while the license is lapsed and continuing to treat patients Correct answer.

Explanation

Practicing on a lapsed license is unlicensed practice and a ground for discipline under the Dental Practice Act. Attending out-of-state continuing education, declining to treat a noncompliant patient, and making an appropriate referral are not violations. Discipline targets conduct that endangers patients or violates licensure requirements.

Question 16Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist is asked to supervise an unlicensed assistant performing coronal polishing. Which statement is correct under Board rules?

  1. Coronal polishing is unrestricted and may be done by anyone
  2. The dentist's presence removes all limits on delegation
  3. Any function may be delegated if the hygienist is on the premises
  4. Only functions the Board authorizes may be delegated, and the hygienist remains responsible for lawful delegation Correct answer.

Explanation

Delegation is limited to functions the Board authorizes for the delegatee, and the delegating licensee remains accountable for lawful delegation. Physical presence of a hygienist or dentist does not erase scope limits. Coronal polishing is a clinical function subject to those rules, not an unrestricted task.

Question 17Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist wants to provide services in a mobile or portable setting. What must the hygienist confirm first?

  1. That no dentist is informed of the arrangement
  2. That patients sign a release from Board oversight
  3. That the mobile unit is registered with a professional association
  4. That the setting and supervision arrangement comply with Board rules for hygiene practice Correct answer.

Explanation

Practice settings are regulated, so a hygienist must confirm that a mobile or portable arrangement meets the Board's requirements for supervision and authorization. Association registration and patient releases from Board oversight have no legal effect. Proceeding without informing the supervising dentist would itself violate supervision rules.

Question 18Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

Which statement best describes the relationship between the Louisiana Dental Practice Act and the Board's administrative rules?

  1. The Act sets statutory requirements, and Board rules supply the detailed standards that licensees must follow Correct answer.
  2. Board rules are advisory and unenforceable
  3. The Act applies only to dentists, while rules apply only to hygienists
  4. Board rules override the Act whenever the two conflict

Explanation

The Act is the statute that establishes licensure and scope, while Board rules implement it with detailed standards that licensees must follow. Rules cannot override the statute, and both dentists and hygienists are covered. Board rules are enforceable, not merely advisory.

Question 19Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist is convicted of a crime unrelated to dental practice. How may this affect licensure?

  1. A conviction never affects a hygiene license
  2. Only felony convictions in another state matter
  3. The license is automatically voided by any conviction
  4. The Board may treat certain convictions as grounds for discipline after reviewing their relevance to fitness to practice Correct answer.

Explanation

The Board may consider convictions as grounds for discipline, evaluating factors such as the nature of the offense and its bearing on fitness to practice. Licensure is not automatically voided by every conviction, and out-of-state convictions are not categorically excluded from review.

Question 20Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist is issued a license by another state and wants to practice in Louisiana. Which path is consistent with Louisiana requirements?

  1. Ask a Louisiana dentist to sponsor the out-of-state license
  2. Begin practicing immediately and notify the Board within a year
  3. Apply to the Board and satisfy its licensure requirements, which may include examination or credential review Correct answer.
  4. Practice under the other state's license because hygiene standards are uniform

Explanation

Louisiana requires a Louisiana license, and an out-of-state license does not itself authorize practice here. The Board determines which requirements, including examination or credential review, an applicant must satisfy. Practicing first and notifying later, or relying on a dentist's sponsorship, is not a lawful route to licensure.

Question 21Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist discloses a patient's HIV status to a friend without authorization. Which characterization is most accurate?

  1. An unauthorized disclosure that may violate confidentiality law and support Board discipline Correct answer.
  2. Acceptable because the friend is not a patient
  3. Acceptable because the information was true
  4. Permissible if the hygienist does not name the patient

Explanation

Unauthorized disclosure of sensitive patient information can violate confidentiality law and constitutes a disciplinary concern for the Board. Truthfulness of the information does not authorize disclosure. Omitting a name does not cure the breach when the patient could be identified.

Question 22Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist receives a Board subpoena for patient records in a disciplinary investigation. What is the correct approach?

  1. Release the entire record set to anyone who asks
  2. Respond as the subpoena requires while limiting disclosure to what is demanded and permitted Correct answer.
  3. Destroy the records to protect the patient
  4. Refuse to respond because records are confidential

Explanation

A lawful Board subpoena compels a response, but the licensee should disclose only what the subpoena demands and what law permits. Confidentiality does not justify refusing a valid subpoena. Overbroad release and destruction of records are both improper and may themselves be violations.

Question 23Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist is placed on probation with conditions. Which statement best describes the effect on practice?

  1. The hygienist may ignore the conditions after the first year
  2. The hygienist's license is permanently revoked by the probation order
  3. The hygienist may practice only within the conditions the Board specifies until the order is satisfied Correct answer.
  4. The hygienist is automatically barred from all practice during probation

Explanation

Probation allows continued practice subject to the conditions the Board imposes, such as monitoring, education, or restricted duties. It is not an automatic bar to practice and does not expire on its own after a year. Permanent revocation is a distinct sanction, not the meaning of probation.

Question 24Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist is asked to sign a false attestation of continuing education hours to speed renewal. What is the correct analysis?

  1. It is acceptable because the Board rarely audits submissions
  2. It is acceptable because the employer requested it
  3. Signing a false attestation is fraud on the Board and exposes the license to discipline Correct answer.
  4. It is acceptable if the missing hours are made up later

Explanation

Continuing education attestations are representations to the Board, so a false attestation is a form of fraud that can support discipline regardless of audit likelihood. Later completion does not cure a false statement made at renewal. An employer's request does not excuse the licensee's own misrepresentation.

Question 25Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist working in a school-based program provides sealants under a Board-recognized public health authorization. Which principle governs the hygienist's conduct?

  1. The authorization applies in every setting without conditions
  2. The authorization removes the need for licensure
  3. The authorization permits any dental procedure the hygienist deems useful
  4. The hygienist must stay within the specific authorization granted and the supervision conditions attached to it Correct answer.

Explanation

A public health authorization is defined and limited by the Board, including the services allowed and the supervision conditions. It does not create open-ended authority to perform any procedure. Licensure remains a prerequisite, and the authorization is tied to the settings the Board specifies.

Question 26Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

Under the Louisiana Dental Practice Act, which individual is authorized to perform a dental hygiene procedure on a patient?

  1. A dental assistant with on-the-job training in the task
  2. A dental student who has completed hygiene coursework
  3. An unlicensed office employee under direct supervision
  4. A person holding a current Louisiana dental hygiene license Correct answer.

Explanation

Dental hygiene procedures may be performed only by a person licensed by the Louisiana State Board of Dentistry to practice dental hygiene. Delegation does not convert an unlicensed person into a lawful provider of hygiene services.

Question 27Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

Which credential does the Louisiana State Board of Dentistry issue to a person qualified to practice dental hygiene independently under authorized supervision?

  1. A dental assistant certificate
  2. A dental hygiene license Correct answer.
  3. A business permit
  4. A facility registration

Explanation

The Board issues a dental hygiene license to applicants who meet its education, examination, and character requirements. Facility registrations and business permits relate to practice settings, not to individual hygiene credentials.

Question 28Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist's license is renewed on a cycle set by the Board. Which requirement is typically tied to each renewal?

  1. Submission of a new criminal background check each cycle
  2. Sponsorship by a Louisiana dentist
  3. Re-taking the regional clinical examination
  4. Completion of continuing education accepted by the Board Correct answer.

Explanation

Renewal in Louisiana is conditioned on completing the continuing education required by Board rule for the renewal period. Re-examination and recurring background checks are not routine renewal conditions, and no dentist sponsor is required to hold a hygiene license.

Question 29Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist allows a license to lapse by failing to renew. Which statement best describes the consequence?

  1. The hygienist may keep practicing while the renewal is processed
  2. The hygienist must stop practicing until the license is reinstated Correct answer.
  3. The hygienist may practice only in a public health clinic
  4. The hygienist may practice if a dentist signs a supervision form

Explanation

Practicing dental hygiene requires a current, active Louisiana license. Once a license lapses, the individual may not deliver hygiene services until the Board reinstates or renews the license under its rules.

Question 30Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

Which document contains the statutory scope of practice for dental hygienists in Louisiana?

  1. The office policy manual
  2. The American Dental Association bylaws
  3. The Dental Practice Act Correct answer.
  4. The Board's fee schedule

Explanation

The Louisiana Dental Practice Act is the statute that defines and limits the practice of dentistry and dental hygiene. Board rules implement the Act, but the statutory scope comes from the Act itself.

Question 31Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist is asked to administer local anesthesia. Which statement reflects the Board's framework for this procedure?

  1. It is prohibited for all hygienists in Louisiana
  2. Any hygienist may administer it after watching a video
  3. It may be delegated to an unlicensed assistant instead
  4. It requires specific additional education and authorization under Board rules Correct answer.

Explanation

Local anesthesia administration by hygienists in Louisiana is a separately authorized function that depends on additional education and compliance with Board requirements. It is not a basic hygiene skill available to every licensee, nor may it be shifted to an unlicensed person.

Question 32Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist wants to place sealants on children at a community health fair. Which condition best supports lawful practice?

  1. The hygienist holds an active license and works within Board-authorized settings Correct answer.
  2. The children's parents sign a general consent form
  3. The event is sponsored by a charity
  4. The hygienist is supervised by a teacher at the site

Explanation

Lawful hygiene practice depends on an active license and compliance with the settings and supervision rules the Board has adopted. Charitable sponsorship, school personnel, or consent forms do not themselves create authority to practice.

Question 33Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana dentist wants a hygienist to perform a procedure that the hygienist does not believe falls within hygiene scope. What is the most appropriate first step?

  1. Perform it and document the dentist's instruction
  2. Decline until the scope question is clarified under the Act and Board rules Correct answer.
  3. Ask an assistant to perform it instead
  4. Perform it because the dentist accepts responsibility

Explanation

A hygienist is personally accountable for practicing within the authorized scope, so an unclear delegation should be resolved before care is delivered. A dentist's instruction does not enlarge the hygienist's legal scope, and redirecting the task to an unlicensed assistant compounds the problem.

Question 34Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

Which action by a Louisiana hygienist is most likely to support disciplinary action by the Board?

  1. Documenting a procedure accurately in the record
  2. Practicing under the influence of alcohol Correct answer.
  3. Refusing to perform a task outside hygiene scope
  4. Referring a patient to a specialist

Explanation

Impairment while practicing is a ground for discipline because it endangers patients and violates the standards the Board enforces. Refusing out-of-scope work, accurate charting, and appropriate referral are all consistent with professional obligations.

Question 35Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist discloses a patient's health information to a neighbor without authorization. Which statement best describes the regulatory exposure?

  1. It may constitute unprofessional conduct subject to Board discipline Correct answer.
  2. It is permitted if the hygienist does not name the practice
  3. No issue arises because the neighbor is not a patient
  4. It is permitted if no harm resulted to the patient

Explanation

Unauthorized disclosure of patient information is unprofessional conduct that can support Board discipline in addition to any other legal consequences. The absence of identified harm or of a practice name does not cure the unauthorized disclosure.

Question 36Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist receives a Board subpoena for patient records during an investigation. What is the appropriate response?

  1. Ignore it because records are privileged
  2. Destroy the records to end the inquiry
  3. Provide records as lawfully required while protecting confidentiality Correct answer.
  4. Send the records to the patient's employer instead

Explanation

A licensee must cooperate with a lawful Board investigation, including producing records as required, while limiting disclosure to what the subpoena demands. Ignoring, destroying, or misdirecting records can itself become a separate violation.

Question 37Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist is placed on probation with specific conditions. Which statement best describes the effect on practice?

  1. The hygienist's license is automatically revoked
  2. The hygienist may practice only under a different name
  3. The hygienist must comply with the stated conditions to remain in practice Correct answer.
  4. The hygienist may practice without restriction until the probation ends

Explanation

Probation allows continued practice subject to the conditions the Board imposes, such as monitoring, education, or practice limitations. Failure to comply can lead to further action, but probation is not an automatic revocation.

Question 38Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist is asked to sign an attestation for continuing education hours that were never completed. What is the correct response?

  1. Sign it and complete the hours later in the same cycle
  2. Sign it because the employer requested it
  3. Refuse to sign a false attestation Correct answer.
  4. Sign it only if another hygienist does the same

Explanation

Falsifying a continuing education attestation is dishonest conduct that can support discipline and undermines the renewal process. A prior or promised completion does not make a false attestation accurate at the time it is signed.

Question 39Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

How does the Louisiana State Board of Dentistry relate to the Dental Practice Act?

  1. The Board has no role in interpreting the Act
  2. The Board enforces and administers the Act through rules and licensing Correct answer.
  3. The Board may amend the Act without legislative action
  4. The Board sets the Act aside for individual practices

Explanation

The Board is the administrative agency that implements and enforces the Dental Practice Act through licensing, rulemaking, and discipline. It operates within the statute and cannot unilaterally amend legislative text.

Question 40Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist is convicted of a misdemeanor unrelated to dental care. Which statement best reflects how the Board may treat the conviction?

  1. The Board has no authority over conduct outside the office
  2. The conviction may be considered as a ground for discipline Correct answer.
  3. The conviction automatically ends the license
  4. The Board may act only if the patient complains

Explanation

The Board's disciplinary authority extends to conduct bearing on fitness and professional integrity, including certain criminal convictions. Discipline is not automatic, and the Board does not need a patient complaint to review the matter.

Question 41Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A hygienist licensed in another state wants to practice in Louisiana. Which path is consistent with Board requirements?

  1. Use the other state's license while working in Louisiana
  2. Apply for licensure by credentials or another Board-approved pathway before practicing Correct answer.
  3. Begin practicing immediately and apply within the first month
  4. Practice under a Louisiana dentist's verbal approval

Explanation

A hygienist must hold Louisiana licensure before delivering care, and out-of-state licensees typically apply through a credentials or equivalent Board-approved pathway. Verbal approval or a foreign license does not authorize practice in Louisiana.

Question 42Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

Which statement best describes the Board's rulemaking authority in Louisiana?

  1. Rules apply only to dentists and not to hygienists
  2. Rules may be issued without any public process
  3. Rules may be adopted to interpret and implement the Dental Practice Act Correct answer.
  4. Rules may replace the Act entirely

Explanation

The Board adopts administrative rules that implement and interpret the Dental Practice Act, generally through a public notice and comment process. Rules remain subordinate to the statute and apply to hygienists as licensees.

Question 43Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist moves to a new dental office. What is required regarding the license?

  1. The hygienist must notify the Board before the first patient
  2. The license must be converted to a facility permit
  3. The license remains valid and no location-specific license is issued Correct answer.
  4. A new license must be obtained for the new location

Explanation

A Louisiana dental hygiene license authorizes the individual to practice and is not tied to a particular office address. Moving between practices does not require a new license, though the hygienist must follow any applicable notification or address-update requirements.

Question 44Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist reveals a patient's HIV status to a friend without authorization. Which characterization is most accurate?

  1. Permissible because the friend does not know the patient
  2. A breach of confidentiality that may lead to Board discipline Correct answer.
  3. Permissible because HIV status is not protected information
  4. Permissible if the hygienist learned it outside the office

Explanation

Patient health information, including HIV status, is confidential, and unauthorized disclosure is unprofessional conduct subject to Board action. The setting in which the information was learned and the listener's familiarity with the patient do not remove the protection.

Question 45Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist is asked to supervise an unlicensed assistant performing coronal polishing. Which statement is correct?

  1. An unlicensed assistant may not perform coronal polishing Correct answer.
  2. The task may be delegated if the dentist is in the building
  3. A hygienist may supervise the assistant for this task
  4. The task may be delegated during busy periods

Explanation

Coronal polishing is a clinical procedure reserved for licensed dental professionals under Louisiana law and Board rules. Neither a hygienist's supervision nor the dentist's presence converts an unlicensed assistant into a lawful provider of that service.

Question 46Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist suspects a colleague is practicing while impaired. Which action aligns with the Board's expectations?

  1. Post the concern on social media to warn the public
  2. Ignore the concern to avoid conflict
  3. Confront the colleague publicly in front of patients
  4. Report the concern through appropriate channels and protect patient safety Correct answer.

Explanation

Licensees are expected to protect patients and report impairment concerns through appropriate professional or Board channels. Public confrontation or social media disclosure risks patient confidentiality and does not serve the regulatory process.

Question 47Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist practices in a mobile setting. Which requirement is most important before delivering care?

  1. Advertising the service before the first visit
  2. Confirming the setting meets Board requirements for hygiene practice Correct answer.
  3. Obtaining a separate mobile-only license
  4. Ensuring the van is owned by a dentist

Explanation

Portable and mobile practice is permitted only when the setting and conditions comply with Board requirements, including infection control and any supervision or authorization rules. No separate mobile-only license exists, and vehicle ownership is not the governing criterion.

Question 48Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

Which statement best describes the relationship between the Dental Practice Act and the Board's administrative rules?

  1. The rules control when they conflict with the Act
  2. The Act applies only to dentists and the rules only to hygienists
  3. The Act sets the framework and the rules implement it Correct answer.
  4. The rules are advisory and unenforceable

Explanation

The Dental Practice Act is the controlling statute, and Board rules carry out its requirements at a practical level. Where a rule conflicts with the statute, the statute prevails, and the rules are enforceable against licensees.

Question 49Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist is offered payment to submit a fabricated patient record to support a billing claim. Which response is correct?

  1. Submit it if the dentist approved the billing
  2. Submit it and note the discrepancy later
  3. Refuse, because falsifying records is a disciplinary ground Correct answer.
  4. Submit it only for a single claim

Explanation

Fabricating a patient record is fraud and unprofessional conduct that can support license discipline, regardless of a dentist's approval or the size of the claim. Accurate, truthful documentation is a core professional obligation.

Question 50Dental Practice Act and Board rules governing dental hygiene

A Louisiana hygienist wants to use the title 'Registered Dental Hygienist' in advertising. What does the Board require?

  1. The title may be used by unlicensed assistants with experience
  2. The title may be used only by a currently licensed hygienist Correct answer.
  3. The title may be used by anyone who passed a national exam
  4. The title requires separate advertising approval

Explanation

Use of the registered dental hygienist title is reserved for individuals who hold a current Louisiana hygiene license. Passing an examination alone, experience, or separate advertising approval does not confer the protected title.