Dental Practice Act and TSBDE Rules
The Texas Dental Practice Act (Occupations Code, Title 3, Subtitle D) is the statute; the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners (TSBDE) adopts rules (16 TAC Chapter 108) that fill in operational detail. A candidate must know how the two layers interact: the Act sets authority and prohibited conduct, while rules set procedures (records, infection control, sedation, advertising, delegation).
Know the composition and function of the Board: gubernatorial appointees including dentist and public members, with the Board empowered to license, inspect, investigate, and discipline. Understand the definitions that drive questions-"practice of dentistry," "dentist," "dental hygienist," "dental assistant," and the term "direct" vs. "indirect" supervision. Also know record-retention and patient-record transfer rules, advertising restrictions (no false or misleading claims), and the requirement to display or make available licenses and permits.
Traps: questions often swap the Act and the rules, or treat a rule as if it were a statute. Another common trap is assuming the Board can do something the Act does not authorize (e.g., criminal prosecution-the Board disciplines licenses, it does not file criminal charges). Watch for items that confuse "Board" with "peer review" or with the Health and Human Services Commission.
Rule of thumb: if the question asks what conduct is prohibited or who has authority, think statute; if it asks how something is done procedurally, think TSBDE rule. Worked example: a hygienist asks whether a dentist must be physically present during a prophylaxis-presence is a supervision question governed by rule and the Act's supervision definitions, not by the Board's appointment structure.