LA Dental Juris cheat sheet

Licensure: the Louisiana State Board of Dentistry issues dental licenses; a dentist may practice only under an active Louisiana license, and practicing without one is a ground for injunctive action by the board.

Scope of practice: a dentist may diagnose and treat conditions of the oral cavity and associated structures, prescribe drugs and devices, and delegate only tasks that a properly credentialed auxiliary is legally authorized to perform.

Prescription authority: dentists hold DEA registration for controlled substances and must comply with Louisiana Board of Pharmacy rules on prescription monitoring, refills, and record retention.

Informed consent: Louisiana recognizes informed consent as a professional duty; consent for irreversible or surgical procedures must disclose diagnosis, proposed treatment, alternatives, and material risks.

Recordkeeping: patient records must be legible, contemporaneous, and retained per board rule; records are the property of the practice but patients are entitled to copies on request.

Infection control: compliance with CDC and OSHA standards (hand hygiene, PPE, sterilization monitoring with spore testing, sharps handling) is a licensure obligation, not merely an employer policy.

Advertising and fee splitting: false or misleading advertising is prohibited; paying or receiving a commission for patient referrals (fee splitting) is a disciplinary offense.

Continuing education and renewal: license renewal requires the board-mandated CE hours per cycle, including specified hours in areas such as infection control and opioid prescribing; lapse triggers late fees or reinstatement.

Grounds for discipline: conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude, gross negligence, impairment, fraud in billing, and practicing beyond competence are each independently sufficient for board sanction, up to revocation.

Licensure pathway: graduation from an accredited dental hygiene program plus successful completion of a board-approved clinical and written examination (regional or national) is required before the Louisiana board issues a hygiene license.

Supervision categories: direct supervision means the dentist is physically present and sees the patient; indirect supervision means the dentist has authorized the procedure and is available; general supervision means prior authorization with the dentist not on site.

Local anesthesia and nitrous oxide: administration by a hygienist requires the additional board-recognized training and certification, and is performed under the level of supervision specified by board rule.

Dental assisting duties: a hygienist may perform coronal polishing, fluoride application, sealants, and radiographs; scaling and root planing are hygiene-scope procedures not delegable to unlicensed assistants.

Collaborative and public health settings: Louisiana rules allow expanded hygiene practice in designated settings (such as schools and certain clinics) under conditions set by the board, without a prior dentist exam in defined circumstances.

Assessment duties: periodontal charting, caries risk assessment, and patient education are within hygiene scope and must be documented; findings outside hygiene scope are referred to the dentist.

Renewal and CE: hygiene license renewal requires completion of the board-specified CE hours per period, with mandated content areas, and CE records must be retained for audit.

Disciplinary exposure: practicing without a license, exceeding scope, falsifying records, and practicing while impaired are grounds for hygiene discipline, including suspension or revocation.