State Board of Dental Examiners; clarify powers and duties relating to practice of dentistry and dental hygiene.
HB 1515 amends Section 73-9-13 of the Mississippi Code to clarify the powers and duties of the State Board of Dental Examiners. The bill restates and expands the board’s authority to regulate the practice of dentistry and dental hygiene, including the power to prescribe which acts, services, procedures, and practices may be performed, and to impose requirements and restrictions the board deems necessary to protect public health and welfare. It specifically confirms that this authority includes regulating licensed dental hygienists who work under a dentist’s direct or general supervision within limits set by the board.
The bill also reorganizes and reiterates the board’s existing administrative and enforcement powers, including licensing, renewal, examinations, discipline, investigations, advertising rules, record retention standards, and approval of clinical facilities. It sets minimum record-retention requirements for dental records and related images, and provides that records for unemancipated minors under 18 may be released to a parent or guardian without the minor’s permission. The act takes effect July 1, 2025.
HB 1515 would update the statutory framework governing the State Board of Dental Examiners by expressly confirming its rulemaking and regulatory authority over dentistry and dental hygiene, especially the scope of practice for dental hygienists under dentist supervision. It would not create a new licensing system, but it would strengthen and clarify the board’s existing authority to set practice limits, enforce standards, discipline licensees, and require record retention. The bill affects dentists, dental hygienists, dental facilities, patients, and the board itself, and it would amend Section 73-9-13 of the Mississippi Code.
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the overall sentiment appears neutral to supportive. The measure is framed as a clarification and administrative update rather than a major policy change, suggesting it is intended to preserve regulatory oversight and reduce ambiguity in the board’s authority. No opposition, amendments, or recorded controversy are shown in the available context.
The main potential point of contention is the breadth of the State Board of Dental Examiners’ authority to define and limit what licensed dental hygienists may do under direct or general supervision. That issue could matter to dentists, dental hygienists, and professional associations if they disagree over scope of practice or supervision requirements. A secondary issue is the board’s authority over record access and retention, including the rule allowing parents or guardians to obtain records of unemancipated minors without the minor’s permission. However, no specific objections or competing viewpoints are included in the provided legislative history.