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MI Dental Jurisprudence study materials
MI Dental Jurisprudence study resources

MI Dental Jurisprudence: Public Health Code – General Provisions and Dental Practice Regulation

MI Dental Jurisprudence · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.

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Public Health Code – General Provisions and Dental Practice Regulation

Domain 1: Public Health Code – General Provisions and Dental Practice Regulation

This domain tests the statutory skeleton of Michigan dental regulation: Article 15 of the Public Health Code (Act 368 of 1978), Part 161's common licensure and discipline provisions, and Part 166's dentistry-specific rules. Expect questions on what counts as the practice of dentistry, who may perform it, the Board of Dentistry's role, and the grounds that trigger LARA discipline.

Core rules

  • A person must hold a valid Michigan license to practice dentistry; the license is issued by LARA's Bureau of Professional Licensing after Board review.
  • "Practice of dentistry" is broad: diagnosis, treatment, surgery, extraction, orthodontics, prosthodontics, and prescribing for conditions of the oral cavity, teeth, gums, and jaws. It is not limited to drilling and filling.
  • The Board of Dentistry advises LARA, approves training programs, and participates in disciplinary proceedings; LARA makes final licensing decisions.
  • Part 161 supplies grounds for discipline-fraud in licensure, negligence, incompetence, criminal conviction, substance abuse, unprofessional conduct-and authorizes sanctions from reprimand to revocation.
  • Delegation is statutory: hygienists and registered dental assistants may perform defined functions only under the supervision level the Code and rules permit.

Worked example

An unlicensed office manager takes a bitewing radiograph while the dentist is at lunch. Radiography is a delegated dental function, not clerical work. Because the manager holds no license or registration and is unsupervised, the dentist has permitted unlicensed practice. The dentist faces discipline under Part 161; the manager faces penalties under Part 166.

Traps

  • Treating the Board as the final licensing authority; LARA issues and revokes licenses.
  • Assuming an out-of-state license authorizes Michigan practice.
  • Overlooking supervision definitions when delegating hygiene or radiography.
  • Forgetting that prescribing and diagnosis are statutory dentistry.