Dentistry General Rules (Administrative Rules)
Domain 2: Dentistry General Rules (Administrative Rules)
This domain tests the Michigan Administrative Code rules adopted by the Board of Dentistry to operationalize the Public Health Code. Questions often target infection control, patient records, radiographs, informed consent, sedation, delegation, and office practices.
Core rules
- The General Rules are binding law, not guidance. A dentist must comply with sterilization and barrier protocols, monitor autoclaves (for example, biological spore testing), and maintain waterlines.
- Patient records must be accurate, contemporaneous, and retained for the Board's required period; records include chart notes, radiographs, consent forms, and medication history.
- Radiographs require proper equipment, technique, and safety practices; the dentist is responsible for supervision and interpretation.
- Informed consent must be documented for treatment and especially for sedation/anesthesia, which carries additional permit and monitoring rules.
- Delegation follows the rules: expanded functions require Board-approved training and the correct supervision level; the dentist remains responsible.
- Advertising and professional conduct must be truthful and not misleading.
Worked example
A dentist's autoclave log shows no biological monitoring for three months. The rule requires routine spore testing to verify sterilization. Missing logs do not prove instruments were unsafe, but they do prove the required quality-assurance step was not documented. The Board can discipline the dentist for failing to follow the rule, and the practice should correct the monitoring schedule.
Traps
- Calling the rules "guidelines"; they are enforceable.
- Keeping records only until the next appointment.
- Assuming verbal consent is enough for every procedure.
- Delegating expanded functions to an assistant without verifying training and supervision.
- Treating radiograph interpretation as a hygienist's final responsibility.