As a dentist, you put enormous amounts of time and effort into getting your license and establishing your practice. The threat of license suspension is one of the biggest risks to your livelihood and one you want to avoid at all costs.
While a state cannot suspend your license without reason, they do have various rationales used for a licensing board to take action if they believe they should revoke your license.
Fraud or deceit
There are several key behaviors or actions that could result in a license suspension. While USA Today states that dental boards often do not punish dentists for performing unnecessary treatments, this is still one possibility, especially if it ties in with possible fraud. This can include charging a patient premium costs for a procedure that was not necessary for their dental health.
Other examples of deceit or fraud can include the use of deceptive or fraudulent practices to get your practitioner’s license in the first place. If the board finds out about this, they will likely suspend your license immediately, or revoke it entirely.
Unprofessional behavior
Unprofessional behavior makes up another section of reasons for license suspension. This can include practicing dentistry beyond the current bounds of your license or helping unlicensed people perform dentistry. Even if this conduct did not result in patient harm, the state can still sanction you.
Finally, you have past disciplinary action from other states. If your current state discovers a past of license suspension or revocation, they may follow suit and suspend your license to practice here, too. If you face any of these possibilities, you may want to contact legal aid to learn about your defense options.
