Action | Amendment to restriction on advertising dental specialties |
Stage | NOIRA |
Comment Period | Ended on 9/5/2018 |
While there is a need to reform the current law to recognize focused training in areas outside the 9 already established dental specialities, the board must enact the reforms in a way that avoids inviting fraudulent behavior and undermining informed patient consent. Where recognized specialties already exist, it is important to the public interest whether or not their doctor is a recognized or board certified specialist in those areas. Removing that requirement would be very unwise. In areas of dentistry that do not overlap or conflict with the currently recognized specialties where dentists might seem focused training the board must outline standards for required training in these new areas in order to continue to promote a high level of patient care. It is important that “specialization” mean something to the public both for the existing specialities and for new areas that VA may decide to allow in the future.