Frequently Asked Questions

The FDA offers a discount to members that have retired. Please fill out a Retired Affidavit, then submit to your local district dental association. If you retired prior to March 31 of the current calendar year, the retired discount will take effect for the current membership year.  If you retired after March 31 of the current calendar year, the retired dues will take effect the following membership year.

It's also important to consider whether to keep your dental license active or change it to inactive or retired state. Please refer to the Florida Board of Dentistry's rule for more information.

If you have recently moved, please contact the FDA with your updated address information.  This will ensure that your membership will be transferred to the correct component, if necessary.  The FDA is on the same database as the ADA and local district dental associations, so once you update your information with the FDA, it will be universally updated in the database.

The FDA does not provide a review of dentist employment agreements.

Know what questions to ask and discussions to have before signing an employee agreement. The ADA’s “Dentist Employment Agreements: A Guide to Key Legal Provisions” is available at no cost to members.

• The differences between employees and independent contractors
• Salary, commission, bonuses and benefits
• What's a non-compete clause? And how is it different from non-solicitation?
• Using mediation and/or arbitration to resolve disputes
• Points to consider when hiring a lawyer to review an employment agreement

Deborah Minnis from Ausley McMullen also wrote an article called " Danger Zones in Employment Agreements". For further questions, you can contact her at dminnis@ausley.com.

The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have published the following guides to help understand the laws and regulations. The revised standards were effective June 1, 2016.

Resources:
Training Requirements in OSHA Standards
Hazard Communication: Hazard Classification Guidance for Manufacturers, Importers, and Employers
Florida Board of Dentistry Rule on Sterilization and Disinfection Procedures
Find your nearest OSHA office

Training Requirements, Reference Materials and Program Information can be accessed by visiting the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services website.

HIPAA Audits – A Nine Step Check List (login required)

Guide to Privacy and Security of Electronic Health Information provides a beginner’s overview of what the HIPAA Rules require, and the page has links to security training games, risk assessment tools, and other aids. 

Abyde, a FDAS Crown Savings partner, provides the easiest way for any sized dental practice to implement and sustain comprehensive HIPAA compliance programs. Abyde's revolutionary approach guides medical practices through mandatory HIPAA compliance requirements such as:

• HIPAA training for doctors and staff
• Business Associate Agreement portal
• Customized policy documentation
• And more!

Abyde offers exclusive discounts for FDA members. Book a demo or learn more!

Use the following link to access a checklist as a starting point to starting a new dental practice.

Click here for the checklist.

The American Dental Association (ADA) and Florida Dental Association (FDA) strive to provide the most up-to-date information when it comes to closing your practice. Some states have specific record retention and patient and employee notification requirements that apply whenever a dentist decides to retire or close a practice, such as Florida Administrative Rule 59Q-17.001: Required Availability of Dental Records Upon Relocation or Termination of Practice, or Death of Practitioner.

The ADA offers a  guide to closing a dental practice, as well as ADA Practice Transitions, where you can list your practice for sale or purchase one.

If retiring, it's important to consider whether to keep your dental license active or change it to inactive or retired status. The Florida Board of Dentistry lists what these different license states mean.

Please refer to the Florida Board of Dentistry's rule on record retention, as well as the rule for record copying.

We recommend contacting your malpractice carrier as they may suggest a longer retention period due to the statute of limitations.

If you have further questions, you can contact Casey Stoutamire, Chief Legal Officer, at 850.681.3629.

Florida statutes were amended to delete the requirements that mandated the purchase of laboratory procedure prescription pads (formally work-order pads) through the Department of Health. Dentists may now utilize the printing company of their choice. The requirements of what must be listed on the pad can be found here. 

According to the Florida Department of Health, effective July 1, 2011, counterfeit-proof prescription blanks must be used by licensed health care practitioners who prescribe controlled substances listed in Chapter 893, Florida Statutes. Section 456.42(2), Florida Statutes, was amended requiring licensed healthcare practitioners purchase counterfeit-proof prescription blanks from vendors approved by the Department of Health. Vendors approved by the Department of Health are required to provide monthly reports to the Department, documenting who purchased the prescription pad or blanks and how many were purchased. Here's a list of approved vendors.

New requirements for prescribers to generate and transmit all prescriptions electronically became effective for dentists upon licensure renewal in February 2020.

The law requires prescribers to generate and transmit all prescription electronically, unless:

• The practitioner has been issued a waiver by the department, not to exceed 1 year, due to demonstrated economic hardship, technology limitations that are not reasonably within the control of the practitioner, or another exceptional circumstance demonstrated by the practitioners;
• The practitioner reasonably determines that it would be impractical for the patient in question to obtain a medicinal drug prescribed by electronic prescription in a timely manner and such delay would adversely impact the patient’s medical condition.
• The practitioner determines that it is in the best interest of the patient, or the patient determines that it is in his or her own best interest to compare prescription drug prices among area pharmacies. The practitioner must document such determination in the patient’s medical record.

For more information and how to apply for a waiver, visit the Florida Board of Dentistry.

You can contact the FDA at 850.681.3629 to discuss, as well as your malpractice carrier. The ADA also provides a resource for terminating a patient relationship.

For questions about emergency care, please refer to the Florida Board of Dentistry's ruling.

Customer Contact Center (850) 488-0595

Contact the Florida Board of Dentistry
"Contact Us" Submission 
Mailing Addresses
Board Office Information

Licensing and Registration
Apply for Licensure by Profession, Permit, or Certification
Licensure Services & Practitioner Profiling
Data & Report Services

Florida Licensure Requirement, Process, Fees, and Statues & Rules
The State of Florida does not have reciprocity with any state and does not issue licenses by endorsement or credentials. The requirements for licensure by examination are as follows and can be found in Section 466.006, F.S.:

Maintain Your Profile
Chapter 456.042, Florida Statutes, requires practitioners to update profile information within 15 days after the final activity that renders such information a fact. You can review, confirm, or make changes the information that will be published in your practitioner profile.