Rules, Regulations, and Board Policies
Rules, Regulations, and Board Policies
This domain tests the operating rules that govern a Massachusetts dental practice day to day: recordkeeping, infection control, informed consent, advertising, prescribing, and patient-record transfer. Questions often present a plausible practice and ask which rule it violates.
Records. The Board requires a legible record for every patient, retained for at least seven years from the last treatment; for minors, retention runs longer, generally until the patient reaches majority plus the retention period. Records must document history, diagnosis, treatment, informed consent, and radiographs.
Infection control. Practices must follow current CDC/Board infection-control standards, including sterilization monitoring, hand hygiene, and sharps handling. Compliance is a licensure obligation, not a suggestion.
Informed consent. Consent must be obtained before treatment, and written consent is expected for sedation, anesthesia, and significant irreversible procedures.
Advertising and fees. Advertising must be truthful and not misleading; guaranteeing results or using sensational claims is prohibited. Fee splitting and paying for patient referrals are improper.
Prescribing. Massachusetts prescribers must register with the Prescription Monitoring Program (MassPAT) and check it as required before prescribing controlled substances.
Worked example. A patient with an unpaid balance demands copies of her radiographs. The practice may charge a reasonable copying fee but must release the records; withholding them as leverage violates Board rules and exposes the licensee to discipline.
Traps. Destroying records too early; withholding records over a bill; skipping written consent for sedation; and assuming infection-control compliance is checked only at inspection.