What is the composition of the Florida Board of Dentistry?

• A. Seven licensed dentists, two dental hygienists, and two consumer members.
• B. Five dentists, three hygienists, three consumers.
• C. Six dentists, three hygienists, two consumers.
• D. Eight dentists, one hygienist, two consumer members.

Answer: (A)

The board is designed to balance professional expertise with public oversight, ensuring that licensure decisions and discipline are informed by practitioners while patients have a voice. It consists of eleven members: seven licensed dentists who practice in Florida to provide clinical perspective, two licensed dental hygienists to represent hygiene practice, and two consumer members who are not dental professionals to protect and represent the public interest. This specific mix—seven dentists, two hygienists, two consumers—keeps the board's makeup aligned with statutory requirements and ensures a broad range of viewpoints in regulatory actions. Other distributions would change the total or tilt representation away from this balance, which is why they don’t fit the established structure.