Missouri Dental Board Rules and Regulations Governing Dental Hygiene
Where Board rules live
The Missouri Dental Board adopts rules in Title 20, Division 2110 of the Code of State Regulations (20 CSR 2110). The rules implement Chapter 332 and cover licensure, renewal, continuing education, supervision, infection control, records, advertising, and disciplinary procedure. Rules are adopted through the formal rulemaking process and have the force of law; a violation can be unprofessional conduct even if no patient is harmed.
What the rules add
The statute creates the Board and the license; the rules tell you how to comply. For example, the rules specify application documentation, CE categories and documentation, record retention, sterilization monitoring, and the standards for delegating expanded functions. The Board also issues guidance and newsletters, but guidance does not override a rule or statute.
Standard of care
The Board evaluates conduct against the standard of care and the rules, not against what a particular office tolerates. "Everyone does it this way" is not a defense. A hygienist is responsible for knowing the rules that apply to her own license, even when an employer handles office compliance.
Worked example
A hygienist posts a patient's before-and-after intraoral photo on social media with the patient's first name and a comment about "fixing neglect." Even if the dentist approved, the post likely violates confidentiality and record-use rules and can support a Board complaint. The test is not whether the post was effective marketing; it is whether the rule and patient authorization were satisfied.
Traps that cost marks
Do not read only the statute and skip 20 CSR 2110. Do not assume federal HIPAA is the only privacy rule; Missouri Board rules and state law also apply. Do not rely on a colleague's summary of a recent rule change; check the current rule text.