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For well over a century, the State of Texas has provided for examining boards to safeguard the dental health of Texans by licensing qualified dental professionals, and by sanctioning violators of laws and rules regulating dentistry. The earliest legislation regulating dentistry in Texas was in 1889 (Senate Substitute Bill 153, 21st Texas Legislature, Regular Session), when each district judge was authorized to appoint a board of examiners composed of three practicing dentists in each judicial district. In 1897, the district system was replaced by one board, the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners, comprised of six dentists appointed by the governor for a term of two years (House Bill 90, 25th Texas Legislature, Regular Session). The number of members was raised to nine dentists in 1919 (House Bill 1, 36th Texas Legislature, Regular Session), whose term was changed to six years in 1971 (Senate Bill 365, 62nd Texas Legislature, Regular Session). In 1981 (Senate Bill 763, 67th Texas Legislature, Regular Session) the number was raised to 12 with the addition of three public members. Two dental hygienists and one additional dentist were added to the composition of the board in 1991 (House Bill 817, 72nd Texas Legislature, Regular Session), raising the number to 15. In 1995 (Senate Bill 18, 74th Texas Legislature, Regular Session) the number of public members was raised to six, for a total of 18 members. And in 2003 (Senate Bill 263, 78th Texas Legislature, Regular Session) the number was lowered back to 15: eight dentists, two dental hygienists, and five public members.
The Texas State Board of Dental Examiners' main functions are as follows: to license qualified dentists and dental hygienists (by examination and/or by credentials); to register dental assistants after examination; to register qualified dental laboratories; to renew licenses and registrations annually; to investigate all complaints; to prosecute complaints through informal or formal disciplinary means; and to monitor on-going compliance of disciplined licensees/registrants with Board Orders.
Two statutory committees provide assistance to the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners: the Dental Hygiene Advisory Committee, composed of six members (three dental hygienists and two public members appointed by the Governor and one dentist appointed by the board for six-year terms); and the Dental Laboratory Certification Council composed of three members appointed by the board for two-year terms. Non-statutory committees created by the board include the Anesthesia Rules Review Committee, Continuing Education Committee, Credentials Review Committee, Enforcement Committee, Examination Committee, and Legislative Committee.
(Sources include:
The Texas State Board of Dental Examiners serves the following functions: to license qualified dentists and dental hygienists (by examination and/or by credentials); to register dental assistants after examination; to register qualified dental laboratories; to renew licenses and registrations annually; to investigate all complaints; to prosecute complaints through informal or formal disciplinary means; and to monitor on-going compliance of disciplined licensees/registrants with Board Orders. Those functions are documented by these records, which include copies of minutes, agenda, transcripts, press releases, committee membership lists, and a brochure, dating 1961-1998. The minutes cover all board meetings dating 1961-1998, and committee meetings dating 1993-1998. (Committees include the Anesthesia Rules Review Committee, Continuing Education Committee, Credentials Review Committee, Dental Hygiene Advisory Committee, Enforcement Committee, Examination Committee, Legislative Committee, and the Dental Laboratory Certification Council.) Only a few agenda and transcripts of meetings are in the files, dating 1996-1998, and there are some supporting documents, including correspondence, memoranda, lists of applicants passing and failing, and proposals. Other records include press releases, committee membership lists, and a brochure, dating 1970-1996.
To prepare this inventory, the described materials were cursorily reviewed to delineate series, to confirm the accuracy of contents lists, to provide an estimate of dates covered, and to determine record types.
The records have been organized into two series by State Archives staff:
(Identify the item and cite the series), Texas State Board of Dental Examiners records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Tony Black, September 2006
Accession numbers: 1998/238, 2004/206, 2006/164, 2007/004
These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Texas Legislative Reference Library on August 10, 1998; July 15, 2004; January 26, 2006; and September 11, 2006.
The Texas State Board of Dental Examiners has mounted recent minutes
(both in Microsoft Word and in PDF formats) on the agency web site
The record copies of minutes and agenda are maintained by the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners.