reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 4 - College of Physicians and Surgeons (§§ 72-72j — 73o) › § 73h - Organization and government

The Association’s purposes and decisions shall be regulated, in the first place, by the validated agreements and resolutions of the General Assembly, and in the second place, by the validated agreements and decisions of the Association’s Board of Directors in all things that by law or regulations are not pertinent to the General Assembly; and which are within the incidental boundaries of those administrative powers and functions and which ministerially correspond to the Board of Directors.
(a) The Association’s President and Vice President shall be elected by secret vote in an Assembly convened for such purposes, following the procedure established by the Association in its bylaws. Likewise, the rest of the members of the Association’s Board of Directors shall be elected in an Assembly, following the procedure established by the Association in its bylaws. Neither the Central Government nor any of its agencies, departments, instrumentalities or corporations shall intervene or participate in any way whatsoever in said election process, except as provided for in §§ 73—73o of this title.
(b) The Association’s bylaws shall provide for whatever has not been established in this §§ 73—73o of this title that is needed for the faithful compliance of the purposes for which the Association is instituted, including, among other matters, that which concerns the name and composition of the Board of Directors; admission procedures, the functions, duties and procedures of all its bodies and officials; general and special assemblies and the summons to the sessions of the Board of Directors, dates, quorum, forms and requirements; elections of directors and officers; committees; terms of all offices; creation and filling of vacancies; the budget; investment of the Association’s funds, and disposal of its assets. The bylaws shall also provide for the Association to hold at least one regular assembly each year. The term of office of the Assembly’s directors, including the President and the Vice president, shall be provided for in the bylaws.
History —Aug. 13, 1994, No. 77, § 9; Nov. 4, 1997, No. 129, § 8; July 13, 2001, No. 56, § [6]
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 4 - College of Physicians and Surgeons (§§ 72-72j — 73o) › § 73i - Fees

The Association’s annual fee shall be established as provided for in the bylaws. Retired and inactive physicians, as well as physicians in training, shall be entitled to reduced fees, as provided for in the bylaws of the Association.
Any associate who does not pay the fee on the date established for said purpose in the bylaws, shall be subject to a complaint being filed against him or her at the Board of Examiners for violating § 73f of this title, in order to suspend the license that authorizes him or her to practice medicine in Puerto Rico, including any of its specialties. The Medical Board of Examiners shall establish the procedure for these suspensions through bylaws, the approval of which shall be notified to all surgeons through the means it deems to be more effective and convenient.
Any surgeon affected by a decision of the Board of Examiners whereby his/her license is being suspended for failure to pay the Association’s fees, may request the judicial review of such a determination, pursuant to what is established in Act No. 22 of April 22, 1931, and in §§ 2101 et seq. of Title 3, known as “Uniform Administrative Procedures Act of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico”. For the duration of the license suspension, the surgeon in question shall not be able to practice medicine or any of its specialties, even when in all other aspects he or she is qualified as an associate; however, the Board of Examiners shall restitute [sic] it once the person pays the amount he/she owes.
The associate shall not accumulate additional debt during the time he/she is suspended or has not practiced the profession in Puerto Rico. Temporary license suspensions or permanent license revocations, decreed by the causes consigned in Act No. 22 of April 22, 1931, which are final and binding, shall also entail the automatic suspension of the surgeon as an Association member for the entire duration of the suspension or revocation. Said Board shall notify the Association of any license suspension or revocation it decrees.
History —Aug. 13, 1994, No. 77, § 10; Nov. 4, 1997, No. 129, § 9; July 13, 2001, No. 56, § 7.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 4 - College of Physicians and Surgeons (§§ 72-72j — 73o) › § 73k - The Association’s funds

The Association’s funds shall be used as provided for in the bylaws. From the Association’s funds, an annual sum shall be allocated, to be determined in the manner provided for in the bylaws, to be deposited into a trust which shall be administered by the nonprofit foundation of the Surgeons Association, to be created by the institution with the purpose of implementing its programs and activities related to community services, such as:
(a) To teach medical sciences in Puerto Rico, in harmony with the applicable regulations adopted by the Council on Higher Education or by any other authority with competence therefor.
(b) To provide health services directed to medically-indigent sectors, and those which depend on social welfare programs.
(c) Scientific research and studies that contribute to the advancement of medicine and public health.
Notwithstanding the above, said foundation may make investments to maximize its resources and meet the purposes of the Association, as long as the associates have so authorized previously. Furthermore, the Association, after a resolution to that effect, approved in a general assembly of the Association, may transfer to this foundation, whether by title acquired gratuitously or otherwise, any of its chattels or real properties as determined by said resolution, when convenient or necessary to meet the objectives for which it is created.
History —Aug. 13, 1994, No. 77, § 12, renumbered as § 11 and amended on Nov. 4, 1997, No. 129, § 10; July 13, 2001, No. 56, § 8.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 4 - College of Physicians and Surgeons (§§ 72-72j — 73o) › § 73o - Penalties

Any person who is not a member of the Surgeons Association and practices the profession of surgery in Puerto Rico or any of the specialties certified by the Medical Examining Board, or who practices the profession while a final and binding order or resolution is in effect whereby his/her professional license is suspended for failure to pay the Association’s fees, shall be subject to be sanctioned with a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100) and not greater than five hundred dollars ($500), to be imposed by the Medical Examining Board.
History —Aug. 13, 1994, No. 77, added as § 13 on July 13, 2001, No. 56, § 10.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 82 - Examinations

The Board shall hold regular examinations twice a year in the capital city of the Commonwealth, on the dates fixed by said Board, and may hold special examinations whenever it deems it necessary. The examinations shall be in the Spanish language or the English language by petition of the applicant.
Every applicant to exercise the dental profession who does not pass the revalidation examination the first time shall have three (3) additional opportunities to take the examination. While preparing for the revalidation examination, the applicant may work as a dental hygienist with the prior authorization of the Board, under the personal and direct supervision of a dentist licensed to practice the profession in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, provided he qualifies as a dental hygienist, pursuant to §§ 94a—94i of this title.
When an applicant has failed to pass four (4) different times any of the parts of the revalidation examination, he cannot submit to a fifth examination of such parts until he presents attesting evidence of having attended and approved the special education and dental practice course or series of courses prescribed by the Board. These courses shall be closely related to the parts of the examination and the subjects the applicant has failed. The courses shall be comprised in a curriculum especially designed for such purposes by the School of Odontology of the Medical Sciences Campus of the University of Puerto Rico, after consulting with the Board of Dental Examiners and other schools of dentistry accredited by the Dental Board.
The Board shall give an applicant a sixth opportunity to take any of the parts of the revalidation examination which he has failed, provided he can present attesting evidence of having attended the courses established by this section and of having passed them with a score of eighty-five percent (85%) of the maximum score obtainable.
The Board shall provide in its regulations for the applicant to receive orientation before presenting himself for examination, on the revalidation examination procedures, the standards that govern the administration of the examination, the type of examination and the method of evaluating it. To such effects, the Board shall prepare and publish a manual with all information pertinent to the revalidation examination, copies of which shall be available and shall be provided, at a reasonable cost to be determined by the Board, to every person who applies for admission to take the test. Every applicant who has failed one or more parts of the revalidation examination is entitled to examine a copy of his answer sheet, to receive a detailed account of the points obtained per question and to request the reconsideration of the score of his examination.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, § 2; Apr. 20, 1929, No. 31, p. 198, § 2; Oct. 9, 1986, No. 11, p. 817, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 83 - Records

The Secretary of the Board shall keep the minutes of the Board meetings in a suitable book which shall be signed by the members attending the meeting. He shall keep a book of copies of all licenses issued, and these copies as well as the licenses shall be signed by all the members of the Board. He shall keep a record of all dentists, dental assistants and dental hygienists who may be practicing their profession in Puerto Rico; [he] shall give all certificates that are asked for which shall be countersigned by the chairman; [he] shall have charge of the Board’s files and shall give such reports as may be asked for.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, § 3; Oct. 9, 1986, No. 11, p. 817, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 84 - Regulations and reciprocity agreements

The Board shall have the power to make its own regulations and establish reciprocity agreements with the Board of Examiners of the states and territories of the United States and of foreign countries. The Board’s regulations shall be adopted pursuant to §§ 2101 et seq. of Title 3, known as the “Uniform Administrative Procedures Act”.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, § 4; Oct. 9, 1986, No. 11, p. 817, § 4.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 85 - Per diems

The members of the Board shall receive fifty dollars ($50) for each day or fraction thereof that they are engaged in performing their function and shall also be paid mileage as established in the Department of the Treasury’s Regulations.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, § 5; Apr. 20, 1929, No. 31, p. 198, § 3; Oct. 9, 1986, No. 11, p. 817, § 5.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 86 - Administration of oaths

The members of the Board of Dental Examiners shall be authorized to administer oaths in matters concerning the discharge of their duties.
The Board shall have the power to summon witnesses and compel them to appear before it, as well as to receive the evidence submitted to it in any matter under its jurisdiction. It may, likewise, require that copies of books, medical and dental records, documents or extracts thereof be sent to it in all cases in which it must examine the originals, or is empowered to require the presentation thereof.
Any summons issued by the Board under penalty of contempt shall bear the seal thereof and shall be signed by the Chairman of the Board, and may be served by any adult in any [place] of the Commonwealth.
The Board shall contract the services of a lawyer in those cases that he deems it is necessary, and the fees shall be paid from the funds set apart in the Department of Health’s budget for the operation of the Board of Dental Examiners, and if these are not sufficient, from any other existing funds in the Department of Health which are not otherwise appropriated, or may request the Secretary of Justice to provide legal counsel.
The Board shall [set], by regulation, the sums to be paid for the appearance of witnesses and for each mile travelled by them. Disbursements made for this item shall be defrayed chargeable to the Department of Health’s budget for the operation of the Examining Boards.
If any individual who has been summoned to appear before the Board or before any of its members should not appear, refuses to give oath or testify, or to answer any pertinent question, or to present any document or pertinent evidence when the Board directs him to, it may invoke the assistance of any part of the Court of First Instance of Puerto Rico to compel his appearance, the testimony of witnesses and the presentation of documents, as the case may be.
The court, for just cause shown, shall issue and order any person to appear before the Board or any of its members and present the required documents, if so ordered, and to testify in regard to the matter under consideration, and failure to obey such order shall constitute contempt of court and may be punished accordingly.
History —Aug. 29, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, § 6; Oct. 9, 1986, No. 11, p. 817, § 6.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 87a - Cancellation or suspension of license—Initiation of proceedings

The Board of Dental Examiners may initiate proceedings for the suspension or cancellation of licenses in the case of dental surgeons, dental hygienists and dental assistants on its own initiative or by complaint filed by any other person in accordance with the provisions of §§ 87, 94f and 94o of this title, after having served notice to the interested party and the opportunity to be heard.
Notice shall be served in writing by the Board stating the nature of the charge or charges preferred, as well as the date, time and place where the hearing is to be held, not less than fifteen (15) days in advance, either in person or by certified mail to his last known address.
The party aggrieved by the complaint may appear at the hearing before the Board in person and assisted by counsel and shall be entitled to produce evidence and witnesses in his defense and to be confronted with the adversary witnesses.
The Board, or any member thereof, may take sworn declarations and serve subpoena duces tecum on witnesses. In case of default, the Board may apply for the assistance of a court of justice to compel the appearance of witnesses and the production of evidence and they may punish noncompliance to its orders as contempt of court.
Any person affected by an order or decision of the Board cancelling or suspending the license may request that the Board reconsider same within the term of the fifteen (15) days subsequent to the date of the notice of the order or decision. Any person whose license has been revoked or suspended may, on application and without new examination, again obtain his license if deemed advisable by the Board. In case the decision for reconsideration by the Board be adverse, the person affected by same may apply for a review of said decision before the Court of First Instance through certiorari proceedings within the term of fifteen (15) days on and from the date on which notice of the order or decision was served.
Any person whose license has been revoked or suspended, may on application to such effect, and without new examination, again obtain his license, if the Board so approves.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, added as § 7A on June 23, 1971, No. 74, p. 216, § 3, eff. 60 days after June 23, 1971.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 87c-1 - Additional disciplinary measures

After due notice and hearing, the Board shall impose on any dentist licensed under this subchapter the following disciplinary measures:
(1) To issue a decree of censure to the licensed dentist.
(2) To issue an order fixing a probation[ary] period and term, taking into consideration the protection of the public health and safety, and which will serve for the rehabilitation of the licensed person.
(3) To impose administrative fines up to a maximum of two thousand dollars ($2,000) for each violation of the provisions of this subchapter or the regulations adopted by virtue hereof.
(4) To impose restrictions on a dentist’s practice of his profession.
(5) To direct the dentist to submit to periodic review of his practice and procedures by the dentists duly designated by the Board, and to comply with the continuing professional education requirements it may determine.
Noncompliance with any final order of the Board, including an order to censure or a probational period, shall be sufficient cause for the suspension or revocation of a license.
The Board’s decisions shall be subject to judicial review pursuant to the procedures established in § 87a of this title.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, added as § 7C on Oct. 9, 1986, No. 11, p. 817, § 9.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 88 - Filling vacancies

The Puerto Rico Dental Association or the College of Dental Surgeons of Puerto Rico, or any other bona fide Puerto Rican dentist’s association, as long as they exist as juridical persons under the laws of the Commonwealth, may recommend candidates to the Governor of Puerto Rico to fill the vacancies on the Board that may occur.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, § 8; Apr. 20, 1929, No. 31, p. 198, § 4; May 13, 1939, No. 160, p. 806, § 2; June 18, 1965, No. 39, p. 75, § 2; Oct. 9, 1986, No. 11, p. 817, § 10.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 89a - Provisional licenses

The Board of Dental Examiners is hereby empowered to grant provisional licenses to practice, gratuitously, the odontology profession, exclusively in nonprofit charitable institutions in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico recommended by the Secretary of Health, to those professional dentists who meet the following qualifications:
(1) Produce evidence of having been hired by any charitable or nonprofit entity established in the Commonwealth.
(2) Submit satisfactory evidence that he meets all the requisites for admittance to revalidation examinations before the Board of Dental Examiners of Puerto Rico and that he has been legally exercising the profession in any of the states of the American Union.
The granting of this provisional license does not authorize the private practice of odontology. Said license shall be in effect until the date most proximate to that in which the revalidation examinations for the granting of permanent licenses are held.
The dentists covered by the benefit of the provisional license shall be exempt from the requisite of collegiation imposed by §§ 111—123 of this title until they are granted the right to practice permanently.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, added as § 9A on May 11, 1967, No. 29, p. 214.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 89b - Licenses; fees

Every dentist who wishes to be issued one of the licenses established hereinbelow to practice the profession in Puerto Rico must complete the application and submit the evidence and information the Board provides and requires, together with an Internal Revenue voucher, in the following amount[s]:
(a) License with examination, fifty dollars ($50).
(b) Revalidation reexamination, twenty-five dollars ($25).
(c) Provisional license, fifteen dollars ($15).
(d) Duplicate license, twenty-five dollars ($25).
(e) Recertification or renewal of license, seventy-five dollars ($75).
(f) Certification of specialization, one hundred dollars ($100).
The amount of these fees shall not be returned to applicants who do not appear [for] or do not [pass] the revalidation examinations.
The funds generated on account of the fees established in this section shall be covered into the Health Fund and shall be placed in a separate account for the exclusive use of the Board of Dental Examiners.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, added as § 9B on Oct. 9, 1986, No. 11, p. 817, § 12.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 90 - Registry of license

Every person obtaining a license from the Board shall, within thirty (30) days of the date thereof, cause it to be registered in the office of the Secretary of Health. The Secretary of Health shall enter on the back of the license the date of its registry, collecting from the applicant the corresponding fees for such service.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, § 10.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 91 - Operations not requiring license

The provisions of §§ 81—94u of this title shall not be construed as prohibiting a person without a license from doing the following works and shall not apply:
(1) To practicing physicians who give dental relief only in cases of emergency, this exemption not to be construed as authorizing the regular practice of dental surgery.
(2) To members of the faculty of the School of Odontology of the University of Puerto Rico who perform dental treatment in the discharge of their official work as teachers in the School of Odontology or in government or charitable institutions affiliated with said school.
(3) To students of odontology who perform dental treatments under the direct supervision of the faculty of the School of Odontology of the University of Puerto Rico while in the discharge of their official work as such students in the School of Odontology or in government or charitable institutions affiliated with said school.
(4) To dental laboratory technicians who do mechanical work on inert material in the office of an odontologist or as employees or owners of a dental laboratory, provided they receive for the purpose a written order, duly signed by a dentist. This written order shall be in duplicate, one copy for the person or laboratory that performs the work and the other for the file of the dentist, and shall contain the following information:
(a) Date;
(b) name, address and number of license of the dentist;
(c) name and address of the person or laboratory that will carry out the work;
(d) name of the patient;
(e) description of the work to be done, and
(f) signature of the dentist.
(5) To odontologists who give lectures or present practical clinical demonstrations in dental conventions or other scientific events under the auspices of a recognized dental organization or of the School of Odontology of the University of Puerto Rico, or of the Department of Health.
(6) To dentists in active service in the Armed Forces of the United States in the official discharge of their functions, and to dentists and/or dental hygienists permanently employed by federal agencies participating in odontological research projects duly recognized by the Board of Dental Examiners, the School of Odontology and the Department of Health.
Both parties are bound to keep their respective copies of the order for a period of two (2) years from the date appearing thereon and to facilitate their inspection by the Board of Dental Examiners or its authorized agent. Laboratory technicians may carry out works on inert material for purposes of research or experiment without a written order, but the dental work so performed shall not be fit for use by human patients.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, § 11; June 4, 1960, No. 50; June 18, 1965, No. 39, p. 75, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 93 - Violations

Any person who not being legally authorized to practice dental surgery shall practice it, or who shall violate the provisions of this subchapter, shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a minimum fine of one thousand dollars ($1,000) and a maximum fine of five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by imprisonment in jail for a fixed term of one (1) year; if there are aggravating circumstances, the fixed term thus established may be increased to a maximum of two (2) years; if there were extenuating circumstances, it may be reduced to a minimum of six (6) months and one (1) day, or by both penalties at the discretion of the court; in case of recidivism, the fixed penalty provided herein shall be increased by half. Likewise, the penalty with the aggravating and extenuating circumstances shall be increased, and all the equipment, instruments, tools, medicine and drugs shall be confiscated by the competent authority. The confiscation may be objected pursuant to law.
Exclusive jurisdiction is hereby granted to the Court of First Instance of Puerto Rico to hear the offenses established in this section.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, § 13; Apr. 20, 1929, No. 31, p. 198, § 7; June 18, 1965, No. 39, p. 75, § 2; Oct. 9, 1986, No. 11, p. 817, § 15.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 94 - Practicing without a license

It shall be unlawful for any person, whether or not a dentist, to practice dental surgery or to offer his services as a dental surgeon, under the name of any company, association, corporation or firm, or under any name other than his own; or to work, manage or be employed anywhere or in any office where dental work is done or contracted for and where such services are rendered in the name of any company, association, firm or corporation, and upon conviction such person shall be punished, for the first offense, by a fine of not less than one hundred and twenty-five dollars ($125) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500). Subsequent offenses shall be punished by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars ($500) and imprisonment in jail for a minimum term of six (6) months and a maximum term of two (2) years.
This shall not be construed as prohibiting two (2) or more authorized dentists to associate themselves under an agreement to practice the profession under the individual names of each and every one of them. The provisions of this section referring to practice under the name of a company, association, corporation, firm or under any other name other than his own, shall not be applicable to nonprofit charitable government or private institutions, provided the services are rendered by a dentist duly authorized in Puerto Rico and whose name appears conspicuously posted to the public in the office where the services are rendered.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, added as § 13a on Apr. 20, 1929, No. 31, p. 198, § 8; June 18, 1965, No. 39, p. 75, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 94-1 - Injunctions

The Secretary of Justice, the district attorneys, the Dental Examining Board, or any concerned person or entity within the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico may initiate an injunction procedure, in accordance with the laws that rule these procedures, against any person engaged in the practice of odontology, without holding the license issued by the Dental Examining Board to dentists; Provided, That the action for injunction herein provided will not relieve the violator from being criminally prosecuted for the offense of illegal practice, as established in §§ 93 and 94 of this title.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, added as § 13-b on May 30, 1984, No. 42, p. 111.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 94a - Dental hygiene—Practice authorized

The practice of dental hygiene in Puerto Rico is hereby authorized subject to the following provisions of §§ 81—94u of this title:
There is hereby understood as “dental hygienist” the dentist[’s] assistant who renders preventive dental services directly to the patient. His responsibilities vary according to the place where he works, but they are principally related with the prevention of oral diseases and the safeguarding of health. He is therefore an educator in oral health with specialized clinical skills.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, added as 14A on June 23, 1971, No. 74, p. 216, § 5, eff. 60 days after June 23, 1971.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 94b - Dental hygiene—Requirements for license

Any person aspiring to practice as dental hygienist in Puerto Rico shall obtain a license which shall be issued by the Board of Dental Examiners if the applicant meets and fulfills the following requirements:
(1) To be eighteen (18) years of age, a citizen of the United States or a permanent resident of Puerto Rico;
(2) to have graduated from a high school recognized by the Department of Education or to have an equivalent accepted by said Department;
(3) to have passed a course in dental hygienist from a school, college or institution in Puerto Rico recognized by the Higher Education Council or from a school, college or institution of a state of the United States which the Dental Board may consider accredited;
(4) to enjoy good moral standing in the community of his habitual residence;
(5) to pass the examination given by the Dental Board of Examiners, and
(6) to pay five dollars ($5) for examination fee and five dollars ($5) for license fee. Both payments shall be made by a voucher to be acquired [at] the Internal Revenue Collector’s office of the Department of the Treasury.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, added as § 14B on June 23, 1971, No. 74, p. 216, § 5; July 23, 1998, No. 162, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 94c - Dental hygiene—Examinations

The examination to be admitted to practice the profession of dental hygienist shall consist of such matters and tests as the Board of Dental Examiners may deem essential to guarantee the good health of the people and shall be offered at least once every year.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, added as § 14C on June 23, 1971, No. 74, p. 216, § 5, eff. 60 days after June 23, 1971.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 94d - Dental hygiene—License renewal

Every applicant who, in the judgment of the Board of Dental Examiners, meets the qualifications and passes the examination shall be so certified by the Board and shall be granted a license of dental hygienist upon proper recording in the registry created therefor and which shall be under the control and custody of the Board of Dental Examiners.
The dental hygienist’s license granted by the Board of Dental Examiners shall be in force for four (4) years, and the dental hygienist may have it renewed every four (4) years, without the need of examination, upon the previous payment by a voucher of two dollars ($2) in internal revenue stamps as renewal fee.
Should a dental hygienist fail to renew his license same shall be suspended by the Board of Dental Examiners and he may rehabilitate himself as such by paying the renewal fee plus a surcharge of two dollars ($2) by an internal revenue voucher.
After a period of four (4) years on and from the expiration of the license without same having been renewed, the dental hygienist shall comply with all the qualifications required by §§ 81—94u of this title for the person applying for a license for the first time.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, added as § 14CH on June 23, 1971, No. 74, p. 216, § 5, eff. 60 days after June 23, 1971.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 94e - Dental hygiene—Conditions of practice

Dental hygienists duly authorized and registered to practice in Puerto Rico may only practice and work, as such, under the direction or supervision of an odontologist duly authorized to practice the profession in Puerto Rico, either in the latter’s office or in any other place duly qualified for such practice or in any other place duly qualified of a government department, agency or organization or of a municipality.
The work of the dental hygienist does not include oral pathology diagnostic, prescriptions or medicines and oral prosthesis, nor clinical procedures of irreversible character. The Board of Dental Examiners shall assign the work that the dental hygienist may, by regulation, practice which shall be approved and promulgated in accordance with the Rules and Regulations Act of 1958. The Board of Dental Examiners shall publish said regulations during at least two (2) days in a newspaper of general circulation in Puerto Rico so that the persons concerned may be duly informed of its contents.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, added as § 14D on June 23, 1971, No. 74, p. 216, § 5, eff. 60 days after June 23, 1971.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 94f - Dental hygiene—Cancellation or suspension of license

The Board of Dental Examiners may suspend or cancel the license of dental hygienist, subject to the proceeding provided in § 87a of this title, on the occurrence of one or various of the causes hereinafter set forth:
(1) The following cause shall be sufficient for the suspension of a license:
(a) Failure to renew a license upon expiration of the term fixed by §§ 81—94u of this title.
(2) The following causes shall be sufficient for the cancellation of a license:
(a) Violation of any of the provisions of §§ 81—94u of this title;
(b) conviction of a crime implying moral turpitude;
(c) having obtained said license by deceit, fraud or false representation and imposture;
(d) [addiction] to the habitual use of narcotic drugs or intoxicating beverages to the point of being unfit for the practice of dental hygiene;
(e) manifest negligence in the practice of the profession;
(f) [advertising in violation] of the norms and requisites imposed by the Board of Dental Examiners, and
(g) [performance of] any work prohibited to dental hygienists by §§ 81—94u of this title or by the Board of Dental Examiners.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, added as § 14E on June 23, 1971, No. 74, p. 216, § 5, eff. 60 days after June 23, 1971.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 94g - Dental hygiene—Registry

The registry kept by the Board of Dental Examiners in accordance with Act No. 6 of April 8, 1954, which is hereby repealed, shall have validity and shall continue to be kept by the Board in accordance with the provisions of §§ 81—94u of this title.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, added as § 14F on June 23, 1971, No. 74, p. 216, § 5, eff. 60 days after June 23, 1971.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 94h - Dental hygiene—Advertisements

Advertisements published by dental hygienists shall comply with norms and requisites that the Board of Dental Examiners may [set].
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, added as § 14G on June 23, 1971, No. 74, p. 216, § 5, eff. 60 days after June 23, 1971.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 94i - Dental hygiene—Reciprocity

The Board of Dental Examiners may establish [reciprocity] with fellow organizations of any of the states of the United States to permit the practice of the profession and to issue licenses without examination to those dental hygienists holding a certificate or license from the state concerned and who meet the qualifications provided herein. In order to establish [reciprocity], qualifications fixed in the state concerned shall be similar or equivalent to those required in Puerto Rico and an equal opportunity must be offered in said state to dental hygienists licensed in Puerto Rico by the Board of Dental Examiners.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, added as § 14H on June 23, 1971, No. 74, p. 216, § 5, eff. 60 days after June 23, 1971.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 94j - Dental assistants—Practice authorized

Dental assistants are hereby authorized to practice in Puerto Rico, subject to the provisions of §§ 81—94u of this title.
[It] is hereby understood [that] “dental assistant” [is] the auxiliary dental personnel who works directly with the dentist while the latter is rendering his services to patients in his office. His function and work are aimed at attaining a greater efficiency in the rendering of dental services [by] relieving the dentist from those tasks which do not require a higher degree of academic preparation characteristic of the dentist.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, added as § 14I on June 23, 1971, No. 74, p. 216, § 5, eff. 60 days after June 23, 1971.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 94k - Dental assistants—Requirements for license

Any person aspiring to practice as dental assistant in Puerto Rico shall obtain a license which shall be issued by the Board of Dental Examiners if the applicant meets and fulfills the following requirements:
(1) Is eighteen (18) years of age, a citizen of the United States or permanent resident of Puerto Rico;
(2) to have graduated from a high school recognized by the Department of Education or to have an equivalent accepted by said Department;
(3) has passed a course [in] dental assistance from a school, college or institution in Puerto Rico recognized by the Department of Education or from a school, college or institution of a state of the United States accredited by the Board of Dental Examiners;
(4) enjoys [a] good moral reputation in the community of his habitual residence, and
(5) pays two dollars ($2) for examination fee and three dollars ($3) for license fee payable by an internal revenue voucher.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, added as § 14J on June 23, 1971, No. 74, p. 216, § 5; July 23, 1998, No. 162, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 94l - Dental assistants—Examinations

The examination to be admitted to practice as dental assistant shall be offered by the Board of Dental Examiners at least twice a year and shall consist of such matters and tests as the Board of Dental Examiners may deem essential to guarantee the good health of the people.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, added as § 14K on June 23, 1971, No. 74, p. 216, § 5, eff. 60 days after June 23, 1971.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 94m - Dental assistants—License; registration

Every person who passes the examination and meets all the qualifications shall be certified by the Board and shall be issued a dental assistant’s license upon proper recording in the registry created which shall be under the control and custody of the Board of Dental Examiners.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, added as § 14L on June 23, 1971, No. 74, p. 216, § 5, eff. 60 days after June 23, 1971.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 94n - Dental assistants—Term of license; renewal

The dental assistant’s license shall be issued every four (4) years, renewable for a like term, without examination, upon payment of a two-dollar ($2) internal revenue voucher for renewal fee.
If a dental assistant fails to renew his license, same shall be suspended by the Board of Dental Examiners but he may rehabilitate himself as such by paying the renewal fee, plus a surcharge of two dollars ($2) through an internal revenue voucher.
After a period of four (4) years, on and from the date of expiration of the license, without same having been renewed, the dental assistant shall comply with all the qualifications required by §§ 81—94u of this title for person applying for a license for the first time.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, added as § 14LL on June 23, 1971, No. 74, p. 216, § 5, eff. 60 days after June 23, 1971.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 94o - Dental assistants—Cancellation or suspension of license

The Board of Dental Examiners may suspend or cancel the license of a dental assistant, subject to the proceeding provided in § 87a of this title, on the occurrence of one or various of the causes hereinafter set forth:
(1) The following cause shall be sufficient for the suspension of a license:
(a) Failure to renew license upon expiration of the term fixed by §§ 81—94u of this title.
(2) The following causes shall be sufficient for the cancellation of a license:
(a) Violation of any of the provisions of §§ 81—94u of this title;
(b) conviction of a crime implying moral turpitude;
(c) having obtained said license by deceit, fraud or false representation and imposture;
(d) addicted to the habitual use of narcotic drugs or intoxicating beverages to the point of being unfit for the practice of dental assistant;
(e) manifest negligence in the practice of the profession;
(f) to advertise in violation of the provisions of §§ 81—94u of this title, and
(g) to perform any work prohibited to dental assistants by §§ 81—94u of this title or by the Board of Dental Examiners.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, added as § 14M on June 23, 1971, No. 74, p. 216, § 5, eff. 60 days after June 23, 1971.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 5 - Board of Dental Examiners and College of Dental Surgeons (§§ 81 — 123) › Subchapter I - Board of Dental Examiners (§§ 81 — 95) › § 94p - Dental assistants—Conditions of practice

Dental assistants duly authorized and registered to practice in Puerto Rico may only practice or work under the direction and/or supervision of a duly authorized odontologist either in the latter’s office, or in any other place duly qualified for such practice or in any other place duly qualified in a government department, agency or organization or of a municipality.
The work of the dental [assistant] does not include oral pathology diagnostic, prescriptions of medicines and oral prosthesis, nor clinical procedure of irreversible character. The Board of Dental Examiners shall assign, by regulation, the work that the dental assistant may practice, which shall be approved and promulgated in accordance with the Rules and Regulations Act of 1958, and which shall be available within the two (2) months following the date of effectiveness of § 141 and following sections of this Act. The Board of Dental Examiners shall publish said regulations at least during two (2) days in a newspaper of general circulation in Puerto Rico so that the persons concerned may be duly informed of its contents.
History —Aug. 8, 1925, No. 75, p. 550, added as § 14N on June 23, 1971, No. 74, p. 216, § 5, eff. 60 days after June 23, 1971.