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To: Public Health and
Welfare
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Senator(s) Blackwell
SENATE BILL NO. 2194
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 73-9-13, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
CLARIFY THE POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE STATE BOARD OF DENTAL 2
EXAMINERS RELATING TO THE REGULATION OF THE PRACTICE OF DENTISTRY 3
AND DENTAL HYGIENE; TO CLARIFY THE BOARD'S AUTHORITY TO PRESCRIBE 4
LIMITS ON THE ACTIVITIES OF LICENSED DENTAL HYGIENISTS OPERATING 5
UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A DENTIST; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 6
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 7
SECTION 1. Section 73-9-13, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 8
amended as follows: 9
73-9-13. The State Board of Dental Examiners shall each year 10
elect from their number a president, vice president and 11
secretary-treasurer to serve for the coming year and until their 12
successors are qualified. Only dentist members of the board may 13
hold the offices of president and vice president. The board shall 14
have a seal with appropriate wording to be kept at the offices of 15
the board. The secretary and the executive director of the board 16
shall be required to make bond in such sum and with such surety as 17
the board may determine. It shall be the duty of the executive 18
director to keep a complete record of the acts and proceedings of 19
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the board and to preserve all papers, documents and correspondence 20
received by the board relating to its duties and office. 21
The board shall have the following powers and duties: 22
(a) To carry out the purposes and provisions of the 23
state laws pertaining to dentistry and dental hygiene, and the 24
practice thereof and matters related thereto, particularly 25
Sections 73-9-1 through 73-9-117, together with all amendments and 26
additions thereto. 27
(b) To regulate the practice of dentistry and dental 28
hygiene * * * by prescribing those acts, services, procedures and 29
practices that may be performed and imposing such requirements and 30
restrictions on the performance of those acts, services, 31
procedures and practices which the board considers proper and 32
necessary to protect and promote the public health and welfare of 33
the citizens of this state. This authority includes the 34
authorization and regulation of licensed dental hygienists 35
operating under a dentist's direct or general supervision within 36
those limits prescribed by the board. However, the board shall 37
not adopt any rule or regulation or impose any requirement 38
regarding the licensing of dentists that conflicts with the 39
prohibitions in Section 73-49-3. 40
(c) To make rules and regulations by which clinical 41
facilities within institutions, schools, colleges, universities 42
and other agencies may be recognized and approved for the practice 43
of dentistry or of dental hygiene by unlicensed persons therein, 44
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as a precondition to their being excepted from the dental practice 45
act and authorized in accordance with Section 73-9-3(g) and (h). 46
(d) To provide for the enforcement of and to enforce 47
the laws of the State of Mississippi and the rules and regulations 48
of the State Board of Dental Examiners. 49
(e) To compile at least once each calendar year and to 50
maintain an adequate list of prospective dentist and dental 51
hygienist appointees for approval by the Governor as provided for 52
elsewhere by law. 53
(f) To issue licenses and permits to applicants when 54
found to be qualified. 55
(g) To provide for reregistration of all licenses and 56
permits duly issued by the board. 57
(h) To maintain an up-to-date list of all licensees and 58
permit holders in the state, together with their addresses. 59
(i) To examine applicants for the practice of dentistry 60
or dental hygiene at least annually. 61
(j) To issue licenses or duplicates and 62
reregistration/renewal certificates, and to collect and account 63
for fees for same. 64
(k) To maintain an office adequately staffed insofar as 65
funds are available for the purposes of carrying out the powers 66
and duties of the board. 67
(l) To provide by appropriate rules and regulations, 68
within the provisions of the state laws, for revoking or 69
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suspending licenses and permits and a system of fines for lesser 70
penalties. 71
(m) To prosecute, investigate or initiate prosecution 72
for violations of the laws of the state pertaining to practice of 73
dentistry or dental hygiene, or matters affecting the rights and 74
duties, or related thereto. 75
(n) To provide by rules for the conduct of as much 76
board business as practicable by mail, which, when so done, shall 77
be and have the same force and effect as if done in a regular 78
meeting duly organized. 79
(o) To adopt rules and regulations providing for the 80
reasonable regulation of advertising by dentists and dental 81
hygienists. 82
(p) To employ, in its discretion, a duly licensed 83
attorney to represent the board in individual cases. 84
(q) To employ, in its discretion, technical and 85
professional personnel to conduct dental office sedation site 86
visits, administer and monitor state board examinations and carry 87
out the powers and duties of the board. 88
(r) To adopt reasonable rules and regulations providing 89
for dentist practice records retention under the following minimum 90
standards: 91
(i) Dental records shall be retained by a dentist 92
in the original, microfilmed, or similarly reproduced form for a 93
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ST: State Board of Dental Examiners; clarify
powers and duties relating to practice of
dentistry and dental hygiene.
minimum period of ten (10) years from the date a patient is last 94
treated by a dentist. 95
(ii) Graphic matter, images, X-ray films, and like 96
matter that were necessary to produce a diagnostic or therapeutic 97
report shall be retained, preserved and properly stored by a 98
dentist in the original microfilmed or similarly reproduced form 99
for a minimum period of three (3) years from the date a patient is 100
last treated by the dentist. Such graphic matter, images, X-ray 101
film, and like matter shall be retained for a longer period when 102
requested in writing by the patient. 103
(iii) Dental records in their original, 104
microfilmed, or similarly reproduced form shall be provided upon 105
request to a parent or guardian of an unemancipated minor under 106
eighteen (18) without the permission of such unemancipated minor. 107
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 108
and after July 1, 2026. 109