For the purposes of this chapter, "unprofessional conduct" means the following acts, whether occurring in this state or elsewhere:

Ask a business law question, get an answer ASAP!
Thousands of highly rated, verified business lawyers.
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

1. Intentionally betraying a professional confidence or intentionally violating a privileged communication except as either of these may otherwise be required by law. This paragraph does not prevent members of the board from the full and free exchange of information with the licensing and disciplinary boards of other states, territories or districts of the United States or foreign countries, with the Arizona state dental association or any of its component societies or with the dental societies of other states, counties, districts, territories or foreign countries.

2. Using controlled substances as defined in section 36-2501, narcotic drugs, dangerous drugs or marijuana as defined in section 13-3401, or hypnotic drugs, including acetylurea derivatives, barbituric acid derivatives, chloral, paraldehyde, phenylhydantoin derivatives, sulfonmethane derivatives or any compounds, mixtures or preparations that may be used for producing hypnotic effects, or alcohol to the extent that it affects the ability of the dentist, dental therapist, denturist or dental hygienist to practice that person‘s profession.

3. Prescribing, dispensing or using drugs for other than accepted dental therapeutic purposes or for other than medically indicated supportive therapy in conjunction with managing a patient’s needs and in conjunction with the scope of practice prescribed in section 32-1202.

4. Committing gross malpractice or repeated acts constituting malpractice.

5. Acting or assuming to act as a member of the board if this is not true.

6. Procuring or attempting to procure a certificate of the national board of dental examiners or a license to practice dentistry or dental hygiene by fraud or misrepresentation or by knowingly taking advantage of the mistake of another.

7. Having professional connection with or lending one’s name to an illegal practitioner of dentistry or any of the other healing arts.

8. Representing that a manifestly not correctable condition, disease, injury, ailment or infirmity can be permanently corrected, or that a correctable condition, disease, injury, ailment or infirmity can be corrected within a stated time, if this is not true.

9. Offering, undertaking or agreeing to correct, cure or treat a condition, disease, injury, ailment or infirmity by a secret means, method, device or instrumentality.

10. Refusing to divulge to the board, on reasonable notice and demand, the means, method, device or instrumentality used in treating a condition, disease, injury, ailment or infirmity.

11. Dividing a professional fee or offering, providing or receiving any consideration for patient referrals among or between dental care providers or dental care institutions or entities. This paragraph does not prohibit the division of fees among licensees who are engaged in a bona fide employment, partnership, corporate or contractual relationship for the delivery of professional services.

12. Knowingly making any false or fraudulent statement, written or oral, in connection with the practice of dentistry.

13. Having a license refused, revoked or suspended or any other disciplinary action taken against a dentist by, or voluntarily surrendering a license in lieu of disciplinary action to, any other state, territory, district or country, unless the board finds that this action was not taken for reasons that relate to the person’s ability to safely and skillfully practice dentistry or to any act of unprofessional conduct.

14. Committing any conduct or practice that constitutes a danger to the health, welfare or safety of the patient or the public.

15. Obtaining a fee by fraud or misrepresentation, or wilfully or intentionally filing a fraudulent claim with a third party for services rendered or to be rendered to a patient.

16. Committing repeated irregularities in billing.

17. Employing unlicensed persons to perform or aiding and abetting unlicensed persons in performing work that can be done legally only by licensed persons.

18. Practicing dentistry under a false or assumed name in this state, other than as allowed by section 32-1262.

19. Wilfully or intentionally causing or allowing supervised personnel or auxiliary personnel operating under the licensee’s supervision to commit illegal acts or perform an act or operation other than that allowed under article 4 of this chapter and rules adopted by the board pursuant to section 32-1282.

20. Committing the following advertising practices:

(a) Publishing or circulating, directly or indirectly, any false, fraudulent or misleading statements concerning the skill, methods or practices of the licensee or of any other person.

(b) Advertising in any manner that tends to deceive or defraud the public.

21. Failing to dispense drugs and devices in compliance with article 6 of this chapter.

22. Failing to comply with a board order, including an order of censure or probation.

23. Failing to comply with a board subpoena in a timely manner.

24. Failing or refusing to maintain adequate patient records.

25. Failing to allow properly authorized board personnel, on demand, to inspect the place of practice and examine and have access to documents, books, reports and records maintained by the licensee or certificate holder that relate to the dental practice or dental-related activity.

26. Refusing to submit to a body fluid examination as required through a monitored treatment program or pursuant to a board investigation into a licensee’s or certificate holder’s alleged substance abuse.

27. Failing to inform a patient of the type of material the dentist will use in the patient’s dental filling and the reason why the dentist is using that particular filling.

28. Failing to report in writing to the board any evidence that a dentist, dental therapist, denturist or dental hygienist is or may be:

(a) Professionally incompetent.

(b) Engaging in unprofessional conduct.

(c) Impaired by drugs or alcohol.

(d) Mentally or physically unable to safely engage in the activities of a dentist, dental therapist, denturist or dental hygienist pursuant to this chapter.

29. Filing a false report pursuant to paragraph 28 of this section.

30. Practicing dentistry, dental therapy, dental hygiene or denturism in a business entity that is not registered with the board as required by section 32-1213.

31. Dispensing a schedule II controlled substance that is an opioid.

32. Providing services or procedures as a dental therapist that exceed the scope of practice or exceed the services or procedures authorized in the written collaborative practice agreement.