ME Dental Juris flashcards
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32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Maine Board of Dental Practice
- The state agency created under 32 M.R.S. chapter 143 that licenses dentists, hygienists, and assistants, adopts rules, and disciplines licensees for violations.
- Practice Act authority
- The statute granting the Board power to license and discipline; Board rules fill in procedural and technical detail and have the force of law.
- Unprofessional conduct
- A statutory category including fraud in licensure, practicing impaired, violating infection control rules, and other conduct the Board defines as sanctionable.
- Mandatory reporting duty
- Licensees must report known violations of the Act by other licensees to the Board, except where the information is privileged or otherwise exempt by statute.
- Grounds for discipline
- The Board may deny, suspend, revoke, or condition a license for incompetence, unprofessional conduct, practicing beyond scope, or violating the Act or rules.
- Continuing education authority
- The Act empowers the Board to require CE for renewal; the specific hour counts, categories, and documentation rules appear in Board regulation.
- Change of address notice
- A licensee must notify the Board of a name or address change within the period set by rule; renewal notices sent to an old address do not excuse lapse.
- Board rulemaking
- Board rules are adopted under the Maine Administrative Procedure Act and cover infection control, records, delegation, and licensing procedure.
- Dentist licensure pathway
- Requires graduation from an accredited dental program, passing the INBDE or NBDE, a Board-approved clinical exam, and jurisprudence and background clearance.
- Hygienist licensure pathway
- Requires graduation from an accredited dental hygiene program plus passing a Board-approved clinical and written examination before a license is issued.
- Dental assistant registration
- Requires completion of an accredited assistant program or equivalent training defined by rule; registration is the entry credential short of EFDA authorization.
- EFDA authorization
- An expanded function dental assistant must complete an approved course, hold current CPR, and may perform only the expanded functions listed in Board rule.
- Biennial renewal
- Licenses renew on the Board's two-year cycle; renewal requires the fee, CE attestation, and any jurisprudence requirement in effect at the time.
- Lapsed license
- A license not renewed by its expiration may not be practiced on; reinstatement may require late fees, additional CE, or reexamination under Board rule.
- CE documentation
- Licensees must keep certificates of completed continuing education for the period stated in rule and produce them if the Board audits the renewal.
- Inactive status
- A nonpracticing license status, where available, that bars patient care until the licensee returns to active status and meets any CE or fee conditions.
- Temporary or limited license
- A time-limited credential for defined situations such as students, faculty, or visiting practitioners; it carries specific supervision and expiration conditions.
- License verification
- The Board maintains public license lookup; employers and patients may verify current status online rather than relying on a displayed paper certificate.
- Local anesthesia by hygienist
- A hygienist may administer local anesthesia only with the additional certification and supervision conditions set by Board rule, not on the hygiene license alone.
- Nitrous oxide authorization
- Administration of nitrous oxide requires specific additional training and certification for the hygienist or assistant, plus dentist oversight as rule requires.
- Dentist scope of practice
- The dentist holds the broadest scope, including diagnosis, treatment planning, prescribing, and responsibility for all delegated care.
- Hygienist scope
- Includes prophylaxis, scaling and root planing, sealants, fluoride, and patient education; additional procedures require separate certification or delegation authority.
- Assistant scope
- Reversible intraoral tasks delegated by the dentist, such as suctioning and retraction; expanded functions require EFDA authorization before performance.
- Direct supervision
- The dentist is physically present in the office and available during the delegated procedure, and evaluates the patient as rule requires.
- Indirect supervision
- The dentist has authorized the procedure in advance and is available for consultation, without being physically present during the service.
- General supervision
- The dentist authorizes the service and reviews the patient record afterward, without prior case-by-case authorization for each appointment.
- Nondelegable procedures
- Tasks such as definitive occlusal adjustment, final fixed-prosthetic impressions, and surgical procedures remain with the dentist and cannot be assigned to assistants.
- Prescribing authority
- Only the dentist may prescribe, including controlled substances; hygienists and assistants have no independent prescribing authority under the Act.
- Delegation responsibility
- The dentist must confirm the delegate's training and authorization, ensure supervision level is met, and document in the record who performed the procedure.
- Supervision level selection
- The required supervision level is fixed by the procedure and the delegate's credential, not chosen by the dentist for convenience.
- Record of delegated care
- The patient record must identify the procedure performed and the credentialed person who performed it, supporting compliance with supervision rules.
- Scope violation
- Performing or delegating a procedure outside the licensee's or delegate's authorized scope is an independent ground for Board discipline.