Oklahoma § 59-328.31 - Professional entities formed for practice of dentistry

§ 59-328.31. Professional entities formed for practice of dentistry

A. Professional entities formed pursuant to the Professional

Entity Act, for the purpose of rendering professional services by a

dentist, shall be subject to all of the provisions of the State

Dental Act, except that professional entities shall not be required

to obtain a license from the Board of Dentistry. Individuals who

hold a license issued by the Board shall be responsible, pursuant to

the State Dental Act, for their personal conduct without regard to

the fact that they are acting as an owner, manager, agent or

employee of, or the holder of an interest in, a professional entity.

B. Professional entities formed for the purpose of rendering

professional services by a dentist must register with the Board

before rendering such services and must update the registration

during the renewal period of each year. The Board shall:

1. Provide the form and establish the fee for the registration

and update;

2. Maintain a registry of all such professional entities; and

3. Publish annually a summary of the registry.

C. The Board is authorized to issue certificates pursuant to

Section 804 of Title 18 of the Oklahoma Statutes and shall maintain

a record of each certificate issued.

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 59. Professions and Occupations

D. Enforcement actions by the Board for violation of the State

Dental Act or the rules of the Board may be brought against a

professional entity as well as against any individual who is or has

acted as an owner, manager, agent or employee of, or the holder of

an interest in, the professional entity.

Added by Laws 1970, c. 173, § 31, eff. July 1, 1970. Amended by

Laws 1996, c. 2, § 8, eff. Nov. 1, 1996; Laws 2013, c. 405, § 11,

eff. July 1, 2013.

§59-328.31a. Use of trade names – Rules regulating advertisements.

A. One dentist or multiple dentists may use a trade name in

connection with the practice of dentistry provided that:

1. The use of the trade name shall not be false, fraudulent or

misleading; and

2. When one dentist or multiple dentists make an advertisement

in the trade name or the trade name is included in an advertisement,

a copy of the advertisement, including but not limited to any

electronic form of the advertising, shall be kept by the dentist or

dentists for three (3) years from the first publication date of the

advertisement.

B. All advertisements for dentistry shall include the name of

the dentist or dentists that shall be providing treatment and shall

list the type of dental or specialty license on the advertisement.

C. The Board of Dentistry shall promulgate rules regulating

advertisements in which one dentist or multiple dentists use a trade

name.

Added by Laws 1996, c. 2, § 9, eff. Nov. 1, 1996. Amended by Laws

2009, c. 192, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2009; Laws 2015, c. 229, § 18, eff.

July 1, 2015; Laws 2025, c. 273, § 12, eff. Nov. 1, 2025.

§59-328.31b. Patient record keeping requirements.

A. Every dental office or treatment facility, whether

individual, group or multi-doctor practice operating under a name,

trade name or other professional entity shall maintain written

records on each patient treated at the facility and shall make these

records available to the Board of Dentistry and other regulatory

entities or be subject to the penalties as set forth in Section

328.44a of this title.

B. Each licensed dentist shall maintain written records on each

patient that shall contain, at a minimum, the following information

about the patient:

1. A current health history listing known illnesses, other

treating physicians and current medications prescribed;

2. Results of a clinical examination, including a physical

intraoral examination and head and neck examination, tests

conducted, and any lab results including the identification, or lack

thereof, of any oral pathology or diseases;

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 59. Professions and Occupations

3. Treatment plan proposed by the dentist; and

4. Treatment rendered to the patient. The patient record shall

clearly identify the dentist and the dental hygienist or dental

assistant providing the treatment with the dentist, specialty or

dental hygienist license number. The patient record shall include

documentation of any medications prescribed, administered or

dispensed to the patient.

C. Prior to a dentist prescribing, diagnosing, or overseeing

patient treatment for any dental appliance, the patient shall be a

patient of record and the dentist shall conduct an in-person patient

examination.

D. 1. The name of the dentist or dentists actually providing

the dental services to the patient shall appear on all insurance

claim forms, billing invoices, or statements sent to the patient and

on all receipts if any are given to the patient.

2. Treatment records shall be maintained for each patient that

clearly identify the dentist or dentists who performed all dental

services for the patient.

E. Whenever patient records are released or transferred, the

dentist releasing or transferring the records shall maintain either

the original records or copies thereof and a notation shall be made

in the retained records indicating to whom the records were released

or transferred.

F. All claims being submitted for insurance must be signed,

stamped or have an electronic signature by the treating dentist.

G. Patient records may be kept in an electronic data format,

provided that the dentist maintains a backup copy of information

stored in the data processing system using disk, tape or other

electronic back-up system and that backup is updated on a regular

basis, at least weekly, to assure that data is not lost due to

system failure. Any electronic data system shall be capable of

producing a hard copy on demand.

H. All patient records shall be maintained for seven (7) years

from the date of treatment.

I. Each licensed dentist shall retain a copy of each entry in

his or her patient appointment book or such other log, calendar,

book, file or computer data used in lieu of an appointment book for

a period no less than seven (7) years from the date of each entry

thereon.

J. A licensee closing an office shall notify the Board in

writing and include the location of where the patient records will

be maintained.

Added by Laws 2015, c. 229, § 19, eff. July 1, 2015. Amended by

Laws 2021, c. 566, § 8, emerg. eff. May 28, 2021; Laws 2024, c. 46,

§ 6, eff. Nov. 1, 2024; Laws 2025, c. 273, § 13, eff. Nov. 1, 2025.