Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

.. .!$ !3 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN .< : QrsRALDc. MInN *TTo***v cxilUI”,l. - stat.8 ImSFd Of Dental S?i~arr;inerS Austin, rexas Attention - Opfllion, YO . 0 e departmat OF insti- ion upon which you rs- deatfsts, tlg Wh8thel' OF eelwe in Texas ate d8fSrtZGent the State to regulate the preetica in drtue 0i the pollee parer to prv- lth pr’cclsslg the sac3 as the practice Article 4~8 of’ the Revised *ii0 person shall practice or offer, or atteqt to practice dentistrpior,d~tal sur- gefy fn this State, sithoyt l'iret hauin&ob- tsined a lioense Prou; the State Goard of Deohl. iixaa:;ln*rs,as prc~'id~d for in this lar, pro0id.c:~ that physicians ai52 suxy+2;1e map, in the regular pract~ics of their pro- fession, extract teeth or z:ake ap for Lhc relief uf pain. lottring State Board of Dental ExarzAnero - page 2 plies ta any pereon legally engaged In the .-practioe OF dentistry in Texas at the tima of the passage of this lw.* Article 4SDla dsclarcsr *tiny person shall be regrrdsd as prre- ticing deutLstry within the meaning of thin Choptar: l(l) Who publicly prOf8SS8S t0 b8 8 den- tiat or dental aurg%an or rho uses or per- l,it8 t0 08 US& POX’ biaself Or fOl' al-if OtbW' person, the title OP ‘DOCt8r’, ‘Dr.* *Dcwtor oi Uental Surgery*, *B. D. S.‘, ~Doctor of Dantal Wdieina*, *D. Y. D .* or any atber lst- t%ra, titla, t%rrcs or desuriptl*a matter ebickJ dfreatly or indU%etly repreeenta him as being aPle to diagnose, treat, re2zove stains or em- crations frw teeth, operate or prescribe for any disease, pain, injury, daficiency, defcrm- ity or physiml condition of the bumn teeth, alteolar pr%%es$, gum or jars. '(2) Ibo shall offer or uniiertaks, by any aeaua or a&hod% rbstaosrer, to diagnose, treat, reao~ 9 ataim, or concretioas Prcm teeth, or shall treat, aperate or prescribe, by any weans or m&hods, for any dlseilsn, pain, injury, de- Cieleneg, defvrsiity or physicral oonditian or the buam teeth, alrtular procoos, gum or jaw, and charge tlxeref5r, directly or im.!tre%tly, maey or other so33pcnsatl.on.g amj- persun suttiari.xd ttr pructico den- tistry or dental -ry SW,*. in this Ytste either under this or any Porruer law oP rexas, shall plats his lloouse on crhibitlon In his of- flc% rhere safd lic%n89 shall be in plafZI vi.oa of patient8. uo sueb person ahr11 de any operation In the south of a patient, or treat any lesions of the muth or teeth, without having said llaense ss exhibited.* Article 711&a (Vernon*s codiPlcation of the Code) defines practicing denistry as fallorsl *Any person shell be regarded ss proo- tioing dentistry rithln the w%nfng of this Cbapt er I “1. Xho publicly proissues to be a dentist or dental suqeon or *ilo represents bla;aell QS being abie to dlsgnase, treut, r+ xhov~ stalna or concretions fron: teeth, apsr- ate or prescribe for any dlserse, psin, ln- jury, dePiciency, deformity or pbyaiool con- dlticrn ciT Lbe huxi3.n teeth, alveolar process, gut5 iir Jam. a a l* We court OP Critinal d.ppeafs in dsw%ine t. stata, 125 Y. d. (2) mo, he~id thirt aa inPomstion charg- fns tirt one bad publLcly proPesaed to be 0 physician or surgeon, onit had offered its treat any disease or oPd&r, mntal or physlcvl, charged the cPPenae oP uniavf’ul prac- tice of 593LLcFno, *ith1n the lan~u”g0 of a siiaaimr stat- ute, tc ths one hwcinabcse quet&, detinlnq the prac- tice of dentistry. te aoai not to argue, we need not to construe the abate statutes, re need hnlg to red them to df~toper the intontiun of tho tcgislofurs, and that intmticm is that “5 ane r;;;?y jJri*ctice dentistry ivit,he~t a,llc.*rise tiizx=ePcr. ocie’“Jp~er . dssistant