Health Occupations - Private Dental Offices - Infection Control

This Maryland bill requires every owner of a private dental office to appoint a licensed dentist as a supervising dentist who is responsible for all infection control activities within that office. The designated supervising dentist must register with the State Board of Dental Examiners and oversee compliance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, including water quality and spore testing, though they are not responsible for individual dentist actions like sterilization or personal protective equipment use. To ensure proper oversight, the law limits each supervising dentist to managing no more than three offices that are close enough for personal inspection, and owners must immediately name an interim supervisor if the primary one steps down. Additionally, the bill allows the state board to charge a registration fee for these supervising dentists and clarifies that the term "practice dentistry" does not include the specific supervisory duties outlined in the act.