The Florida Senate

466.021  Employment of unlicensed persons by dentist; penalty.--Every duly licensed dentist who uses the services of any unlicensed person for the purpose of constructing, altering, repairing, or duplicating any denture, partial denture, bridge splint, or orthodontic or prosthetic appliance shall be required to furnish such unlicensed person with a written work order in such form as prescribed by rule of the board. This form shall be dated and signed by such dentist and shall include the patient's name or number with sufficient descriptive information to clearly identify the case for each separate and individual piece of work. A copy of such work order shall be retained in a permanent file in the dentist's office for a period of 2 years, and the original work order shall be retained in a permanent file for a period of 2 years by such unlicensed person in her or his place of business. Such permanent file of work orders to be kept by such dentist or by such unlicensed person shall be open to inspection at any reasonable time by the department or its duly constituted agent. Failure of the dentist to keep such permanent records of such work orders shall subject the dentist to suspension or revocation of her or his license to practice dentistry. Failure of such unlicensed person to have in her or his possession a work order as required by this section shall be admissible evidence of a violation of this chapter and shall constitute a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. Nothing in this section shall preclude a registered dental laboratory from working for another registered dental laboratory, provided that such work is performed pursuant to written authorization, in a form to be prescribed by rule of the board, which evidences that the originating laboratory has obtained a valid work order and which sets forth the work to be performed. Furthermore, nothing in this section shall preclude a registered laboratory from providing its services to dentists licensed and practicing in another state, provided that such work is requested or otherwise authorized in written form which clearly identifies the name and address of the requesting dentist and which sets forth the work to be performed.

History.--ss. 1, 3, ch. 79-330; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; ss. 23, 24, ch. 86-291; s. 60, ch. 91-137; s. 7, ch. 91-156; s. 93, ch. 91-224; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 258, ch. 97-103; s. 2, ch. 99-183; s. 126, ch. 99-397.