Effective 28 Aug 2006

332.071. Practice of dentistry defined. — A person or other entity "practices dentistry" within the meaning of this chapter who:

(1) Undertakes to do or perform dental work or dental services or dental operations or oral surgery, by any means or methods, including the use of lasers, gratuitously or for a salary or fee or other reward, paid directly or indirectly to the person or to any other person or entity;

(2) Diagnoses or professes to diagnose, prescribes for or professes to prescribe for, treats or professes to treat, any disease, pain, deformity, deficiency, injury or physical condition of human teeth or adjacent structures or treats or professes to treat any disease or disorder or lesions of the oral regions;

(3) Attempts to or does replace or restore a part or portion of a human tooth;

(4) Attempts to or does extract human teeth or attempts to or does correct malformations of human teeth or jaws;

(5) Attempts to or does adjust an appliance or appliances for use in or used in connection with malposed teeth in the human mouth;

(6) Interprets or professes to interpret or read dental radiographs;

(7) Administers an anesthetic in connection with dental services or dental operations or dental surgery;

(8) Undertakes to or does remove hard and soft deposits from or polishes natural and restored surfaces of teeth;

(9) Uses or permits to be used for the person's benefit or for the benefit of any other person or other entity the following titles or words in connection with the person's name: "Doctor", "Dentist", "Dr.", "D.D.S.", or "D.M.D.", or any other letters, titles, degrees or descriptive matter which directly or indirectly indicate or imply that the person is willing or able to perform any type of dental service for any person or persons, or uses or permits the use of for the person's benefit or for the benefit of any other person or other entity any card, directory, poster, sign or any other means by which the person indicates or implies or represents that the person is willing or able to perform any type of dental services or operation for any person;

(10) Directly or indirectly owns, leases, operates, maintains, manages or conducts an office or establishment of any kind in which dental services or dental operations of any kind are performed for any purpose; but this section shall not be construed to prevent owners or lessees of real estate from lawfully leasing premises to those who are qualified to practice dentistry within the meaning of this chapter;

(11) Controls, influences, attempts to control or influence, or otherwise interferes with the dentist's independent professional judgment regarding the diagnosis or treatment of a dental disease, disorder, or physical condition except that any opinion rendered by any health care professional licensed under this chapter or chapter 330, 331, 334, 335, 336, 337, or 338 regarding the diagnosis, treatment, disorder, or physical condition of any patient shall not be construed to control, influence, attempt to control or influence or otherwise interfere with a dentist's independent professional judgment;

(12) Constructs, supplies, reproduces or repairs any prosthetic denture, bridge, artificial restoration, appliance or other structure to be used or worn as a substitute for natural teeth, except when one, not a registered and licensed dentist, does so pursuant to a written uniform laboratory work order, in the form prescribed by the board, of a dentist registered and currently licensed in Missouri and which the substitute in this subdivision described is constructed upon or by use of casts or models made from an impression furnished by a dentist registered and currently licensed in Missouri;

(13) Attempts to or does place any substitute described in subdivision (12) of this section in a human mouth or attempts to or professes to adjust any substitute or delivers any substitute to any person other than the dentist upon whose order the work in producing the substitute was performed;

(14) Advertises, solicits, or offers to or does sell or deliver any substitute described in subdivision (12) of this section or offers to or does sell the person's services in constructing, reproducing, supplying or repairing the substitute to any person other than a registered and licensed dentist in Missouri;

(15) Undertakes to do or perform any physical evaluation of a patient in the person's office or in a hospital, clinic, or other medical or dental facility prior to or incident to the performance of any dental services, dental operations, or dental surgery;

(16) Reviews examination findings, x-rays, or other patient data to make judgments or decisions about the dental care rendered to a patient in this state.

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(L. 1969 S.B. 97, A.L. 1976 S.B. 572, A.L. 1995 S.B. 35, A.L. 2003 S.B. 506, A.L. 2004 S.B. 1122, A.L. 2006 S.B. 756)