MD 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.
- Maryland dental statute location
- Dental practice in Maryland is governed by the Health Occupations Article, Title 4, and administered by the State Board of Dental Examiners.
- General supervision defined
- The dentist has authorized treatment but is not physically present; in Maryland it applies to hygienists in specified settings such as schools and health department clinics.
- Direct supervision defined
- The dentist is physically present in the office and evaluates the patient before delegated care; required for most expanded functions performed by assistants in private practice.
- Dentist-only acts
- Diagnosis, surgical procedures, prescribing, final impression for prostheses, and interpretation of radiographs are reserved to the licensed dentist and cannot be delegated.
- Hygienist local anesthesia
- A Maryland hygienist may administer local anesthesia only after completing Board-recognized additional education and certification and practicing under the required supervision level.
- Expanded function assistant
- A dental assistant who completes Board-approved education and certification may perform specified reversible procedures such as coronal polishing and fluoride application.
- Supervising dentist responsibility
- The dentist remains responsible for all care delegated to auxiliaries and must personally examine the patient before treatment is initiated.
- Licensure examination requirements
- Maryland licensure requires an accredited dental degree, passage of the National Board Dental Examination, and a Board-approved clinical examination.
- Criminal background check
- Applicants must submit fingerprints and pass state and national criminal history checks; prior discipline in other jurisdictions must be disclosed.
- Biennial renewal cycle
- Maryland dental and hygienist licenses renew every two years and require completion of Board-mandated continuing education, including specified topic hours.
- CE audit basis
- Licensees certify CE completion at renewal and must retain certificates; the Board audits a sample and may require documentation of each course.
- Lapsed license reinstatement
- A license lapsed beyond the grace period may require additional continuing education or re-examination before the Board restores active status.
- Inactive status restriction
- A licensee granted inactive or retired status may not practice dentistry in Maryland until the Board restores the license to active status.
- Change of address duty
- A licensee must notify the Board of a change of name or address within the regulatory timeframe and report certain arrests and out-of-state actions.
- Standard of care definition
- The degree of care and skill ordinarily exercised by competent dentists in the same or similar community under similar circumstances.
- Informed consent elements
- Disclosure of diagnosis, nature and purpose of treatment, material risks and benefits, reasonable alternatives including no treatment, and consequences of refusal.
- Who obtains consent
- The treating dentist must obtain and document informed consent; consent taken by an auxiliary is insufficient for invasive procedures.
- Required record contents
- Records include medical and dental history, findings, radiographs, diagnosis, treatment plan, progress notes, consent forms, and medication and laboratory data.
- Record correction method
- Errors are corrected by a dated, signed addendum; original entries are never obliterated, and alteration after a complaint is a separate violation.
- Patient record access
- Maryland patients may obtain copies of their dental records for a reasonable fee; records cannot be withheld to collect an unrelated debt.
- Controlled substance prescribing
- Prescribing requires a documented evaluation and treatment plan and query of the state prescription drug monitoring program as required by Maryland law.
- Bloodborne pathogens plan
- Maryland practices must maintain an OSHA-compliant exposure control plan, offer hepatitis B vaccination, and provide post-exposure evaluation and follow-up.
- Sterilization methods accepted
- Critical and semicritical instruments require heat sterilization by steam autoclave, dry heat, or unsaturated chemical vapor, with appropriate monitoring.
- Sterilizer monitoring types
- Mechanical, chemical, and biological indicators must be used; spore testing is performed at least weekly and results are retained.
- Positive spore test response
- A positive biological indicator requires quarantining affected loads, removing the sterilizer from service, repair, and retesting before reuse.
- Single-use item rule
- Needles, anesthetic cartridges, and other single-use devices must never be reused; sharps go into puncture-resistant containers at the point of use.
- Dental unit water quality
- Dental unit waterlines must meet the CDC recommended heterotrophic bacteria limit; boil-water advisories require halting routine care and using sterile water.
- Grounds for discipline
- Grounds include fraud in licensure, unprofessional conduct, gross negligence, incompetence, practicing while impaired, and violating the Act or regulations.
- Range of Board sanctions
- Sanctions range from reprimand and probation to suspension, revocation, civil penalties, and conditions such as remedial education or practice monitoring.
- Hearing due process rights
- The licensee receives notice of charges and may be represented by counsel, present evidence, cross-examine witnesses, and subpoena records.
- Mandatory reporting duty
- Licensees and health care facilities must report known conduct constituting grounds for discipline; failure to report is itself a violation.
- Judicial review of decisions
- Board decisions are reviewable under the Maryland Administrative Procedure Act, and a licensee generally must exhaust administrative remedies first.