PSI CALIFORNIA DENTAL LAW AND ETHICS ULTIMATE EXAM
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EXAM INFORMATION AND FORMAT
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======================
The California Dentistry Law and Ethics Examination (LEX) is administered by
PSI Services LLC on behalf of the Dental Board of California. It is a required
examination for dentist licensure in California.
EXAM FORMAT:
- Number of Questions: 60 multiple-choice questions
- Time Limit: 60 minutes
- Scoring: 50 of 60 questions are graded; 10 are pilot questions
- Passing Score: 75% (38 out of 50 graded questions correct) [0†L13-L14]
SOURCE: Dental Board of California Occupational Analysis (2024) [8†L88-L100]
KEY REFERENCE MATERIALS:
- California Dental Practice Act (Business & Professions Code §1600 et seq.) [2†L6-L7]
- California Code of Regulations, Title 16, Division 10 [5†L4-L8]
- California Health and Safety Code
- HIPAA Privacy Rule
- CURES (Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System)
- Mandated Reporter laws (Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act)
- OSHA standards for dental settings
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SECTION 1: LAW – PATIENT INFORMATION (Questions 1-40)
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QUESTION 1
Under California law, who owns the original patient dental records?
A) The patient
B) The dentist or dental practice
C) The Dental Board of California
D) The insurance company
ANSWER: B
RATIONALE: The dentist or dental practice owns the original patient records.
Patients have the right to obtain copies of their records, but the physical
records belong to the treating dentist or practice [0†L34-L35].
QUESTION 2
Under HIPAA, which of the following is considered protected health information
(PHI)?
A) Patient's name and date of birth
B) Dental treatment records
C) X-rays and photographs
D) All of the above
ANSWER: D
RATIONALE: HIPAA defines protected health information as any individually
identifiable health information held or transmitted by a covered entity,
,including names, dates of birth, treatment records, radiographs, photographs,
and billing information [9†L114].
QUESTION 3
When may a dentist disclose a patient's HIV status without the patient's
authorization?
A) Never
B) To the patient's employer
C) To the patient's spouse if there is a significant risk of transmission
D) To the patient's insurance company for billing purposes
ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: California law allows disclosure of HIV test results to a spouse or
partner when there is a significant risk of transmission, provided the patient
has been counseled and refuses to notify the partner. Disclosure must be made
through public health channels [9†L107].
QUESTION 4
How long must a dentist retain patient records in California?
A) 3 years
B) 5 years
C) 7 years
D) Indefinitely
ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: California law requires dentists to retain patient records for a
minimum of 7 years from the date of the last treatment. For minor patients,
records must be retained until the patient reaches age 19 or 7 years, whichever
, is longer [9†L118-L120].
QUESTION 5
Which of the following is NOT a valid reason for a dentist to refuse to release
patient records?
A) The patient has an unpaid balance
B) The request is from the patient themselves
C) The records are needed for a lawsuit
D) The patient has not signed a release
ANSWER: A
RATIONALE: A dentist cannot withhold patient records due to unpaid balances.
Patients have the right to obtain copies of their records regardless of
outstanding fees. However, the dentist may charge a reasonable copying fee [9†L127-
L130].
QUESTION 6
What is the maximum fee a dentist may charge for copying patient records in
California?
A) $0.15 per page
B) $0.25 per page
C) $0.50 per page
D) No statutory maximum
ANSWER: B
RATIONALE: California law limits the copying fee for patient records to $0.25
per page plus a reasonable clerical fee. X-rays may have additional charges
[9†L130].
==========================================================
======================
EXAM INFORMATION AND FORMAT
==========================================================
======================
The California Dentistry Law and Ethics Examination (LEX) is administered by
PSI Services LLC on behalf of the Dental Board of California. It is a required
examination for dentist licensure in California.
EXAM FORMAT:
- Number of Questions: 60 multiple-choice questions
- Time Limit: 60 minutes
- Scoring: 50 of 60 questions are graded; 10 are pilot questions
- Passing Score: 75% (38 out of 50 graded questions correct) [0†L13-L14]
SOURCE: Dental Board of California Occupational Analysis (2024) [8†L88-L100]
KEY REFERENCE MATERIALS:
- California Dental Practice Act (Business & Professions Code §1600 et seq.) [2†L6-L7]
- California Code of Regulations, Title 16, Division 10 [5†L4-L8]
- California Health and Safety Code
- HIPAA Privacy Rule
- CURES (Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System)
- Mandated Reporter laws (Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act)
- OSHA standards for dental settings
,==========================================================
======================
SECTION 1: LAW – PATIENT INFORMATION (Questions 1-40)
==========================================================
======================
QUESTION 1
Under California law, who owns the original patient dental records?
A) The patient
B) The dentist or dental practice
C) The Dental Board of California
D) The insurance company
ANSWER: B
RATIONALE: The dentist or dental practice owns the original patient records.
Patients have the right to obtain copies of their records, but the physical
records belong to the treating dentist or practice [0†L34-L35].
QUESTION 2
Under HIPAA, which of the following is considered protected health information
(PHI)?
A) Patient's name and date of birth
B) Dental treatment records
C) X-rays and photographs
D) All of the above
ANSWER: D
RATIONALE: HIPAA defines protected health information as any individually
identifiable health information held or transmitted by a covered entity,
,including names, dates of birth, treatment records, radiographs, photographs,
and billing information [9†L114].
QUESTION 3
When may a dentist disclose a patient's HIV status without the patient's
authorization?
A) Never
B) To the patient's employer
C) To the patient's spouse if there is a significant risk of transmission
D) To the patient's insurance company for billing purposes
ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: California law allows disclosure of HIV test results to a spouse or
partner when there is a significant risk of transmission, provided the patient
has been counseled and refuses to notify the partner. Disclosure must be made
through public health channels [9†L107].
QUESTION 4
How long must a dentist retain patient records in California?
A) 3 years
B) 5 years
C) 7 years
D) Indefinitely
ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: California law requires dentists to retain patient records for a
minimum of 7 years from the date of the last treatment. For minor patients,
records must be retained until the patient reaches age 19 or 7 years, whichever
, is longer [9†L118-L120].
QUESTION 5
Which of the following is NOT a valid reason for a dentist to refuse to release
patient records?
A) The patient has an unpaid balance
B) The request is from the patient themselves
C) The records are needed for a lawsuit
D) The patient has not signed a release
ANSWER: A
RATIONALE: A dentist cannot withhold patient records due to unpaid balances.
Patients have the right to obtain copies of their records regardless of
outstanding fees. However, the dentist may charge a reasonable copying fee [9†L127-
L130].
QUESTION 6
What is the maximum fee a dentist may charge for copying patient records in
California?
A) $0.15 per page
B) $0.25 per page
C) $0.50 per page
D) No statutory maximum
ANSWER: B
RATIONALE: California law limits the copying fee for patient records to $0.25
per page plus a reasonable clerical fee. X-rays may have additional charges
[9†L130].
