TITLE 54

PROFESSIONS, VOCATIONS, AND BUSINESSES

CHAPTER 9

DENTISTS

54-912.  Board of dentistry — Powers and duties. The board shall have the following powers and duties:

(1)  To ascertain the qualifications and fitness of applicants to practice dentistry, a dental specialty, dental therapy, or dental hygiene; to prepare, conduct and grade qualifying examinations; to require and accept passing results of written and clinical examinations from approved dental, dental therapy, and dental hygiene testing organizations; to issue in the name of the board a certificate of qualification to applicants found to be fit and qualified to practice dentistry, dental therapy, or dental hygiene.

(2)  To prescribe rules for a fair and wholly impartial method of licensure and examination of applicants to practice dentistry, a dental specialty, dental therapy, or dental hygiene.

(3)  To define by rule what shall constitute accepted and approved schools, colleges, institutions, universities or departments thereof for the teaching of dentistry, dental therapy, or dental hygiene and to determine, accept and approve those that comply therewith.

(4)  To promulgate other rules required by law or necessary or desirable for its enforcement and administration; to define by rule the terms unprofessional conduct or practices injurious to the public as the terms are used in section 54-924, Idaho Code, to furnish applications, certificates, licenses and other necessary forms.

(5)  To inspect or cause to be inspected the offices or operating rooms of all persons licensed under this chapter.

(6) (a)  Upon its own motion or upon any complaint, to initiate and conduct investigations on all matters relating to the practice of dentistry, dental therapy, or dental hygiene and to conduct hearings or proceedings on its own or through its designated hearing officer, to revoke, suspend or otherwise condition certificates of qualification or licenses of persons practicing dentistry, dental therapy, or dental hygiene and, on such terms as the board shall deem appropriate, to revoke, suspend, or otherwise condition such licenses, provided such hearings and proceedings shall be had in conformance with the provisions of chapter 52, title 67, Idaho Code. Final decisions of the board shall be subject to judicial review as provided in chapter 52, title 67, Idaho Code.

(b)  Whenever it appears that grounds for discipline exist under this chapter and the board finds that there is an immediate danger to the public health, safety or welfare, the board is authorized to commence emergency proceedings for revocation or other action. Such proceedings shall be promptly instituted and processed, including the right to contest the emergency proceedings and appeal, under the applicable provisions of chapter 52, title 67, Idaho Code.

(7)  The board, its designated hearing officer, or representative shall have power to administer oaths, the power to engage in discovery as provided in the Idaho rules of civil procedure and chapter 52, title 67, Idaho Code, including, but not limited to, the power to take depositions of witnesses within or without the state in the manner provided by law in civil cases, and shall have power throughout the state of Idaho to require the attendance of witnesses and the production of books, records and papers as it may desire at any hearing before it of any matter which it has authority to investigate, and for that purpose the board or its designated hearing officer may issue a subpoena for any witness or a subpoena duces tecum to compel the production of any books, records or papers, directed to the sheriff of any county of the state of Idaho, where the witness resides, or may be found, which shall be served and returned in the same manner as a subpoena in a criminal case is served and returned. The fees and mileage of the witnesses shall be the same as that allowed in the district courts in criminal cases and shall be paid from the state board of dentistry fund in the same manner as other expenses of the board are paid. In any case of disobedience to, or neglect of, any subpoena or subpoena duces tecum served upon any person, or the refusal of any witness to testify to any matter regarding which he may lawfully be interrogated, it shall be the duty of the district court, or any judge thereof, of any county in this state in which the disobedience, neglect or refusal occurs, upon application by the board to compel obedience by proceedings for contempt as in the case of disobedience of the requirements of a subpoena issued from the court or for refusal to testify. The licensed person accused in the proceedings shall have the same right of subpoena upon making application to the board.

(8)  To establish that the administrator of the division of occupational and professional licenses shall carry out the duties set forth in chapter 26, title 67, Idaho Code, and any other administrative duties on behalf of the board, including enforcement activities as the board may deem advisable.

(9)  Provide, by rule, for reasonable fees for administrative costs and assess costs reasonably and necessarily incurred in the enforcement of this chapter when a licensee has been found to be in violation of this chapter.

History:

[54-912, added 1949, ch. 102, sec. 12, p. 177; am. 1967, ch. 312, sec. 9, p. 886; am. 1971, ch. 136, sec. 34, p. 522; am. 1974, ch. 13, sec. 89, p. 138; am. 1986, ch. 35, sec. 3, p. 110; am. 1991, ch. 147, sec. 6, p. 350; am. 1993, ch. 216, sec. 59, p. 643; am. 1994, ch. 58, sec. 12, p. 105; am. 2000, ch. 40, sec. 1, p. 79; am. 2003, ch. 160, sec. 1, p. 451; am. 2014, ch. 121, sec. 2, p. 344; am. 2017, ch. 196, sec. 1, p. 480; am. 2019, ch. 221, sec. 5, p. 671; am. 2021, ch. 7, sec. 1, p. 6; am. 2021, ch. 221, sec. 3, p. 609.]