What is the legislative intent behind Florida's professional regulation for dentists?

• A. To promote unrestricted practice regardless of competency
• B. To impede access to dental care
• C. To prohibit dentists and dental hygienists who fall below minimum competency or endanger the public from practicing
• D. To require uniform advertising across all dental practices

Answer: (C)

The main idea behind professional regulation for dentists is public protection. Florida uses licensure and ongoing standards to ensure practitioners meet minimum competence and to prevent those who are not competent or who pose even a small risk to patients from providing care. This is why regulation includes mechanisms to discipline, suspend, or revoke licenses when a dentist or dental hygienist falls below required standards or endangers the public. The focus is not on promoting unrestricted practice, nor on creating barriers to access for the sake of it, and while advertising rules exist, they are secondary to the core goal of keeping patients safe.