New York
Dental Jurisprudence
Final Exam Review
(With Solutions)
2025
1
,Multiple-Choice (1–15)
Choose the ONE best ANS.
The New York State Education Law (Article 133) defines “unlicensed
practice of dentistry” as which of the following?
A. Providing any preventive service without a supervising dentist
present
B. Performing a dental procedure for compensation while not
currently registered to practice in New York
C. Practicing dentistry in any setting outside New York State
D. Billing a third-party payer without the patient’s signature
ANS: B
Rationale: Article 133 states that a person is practicing dentistry
unlawfully when he or she “diagnoses, treats, operates or prescribes
for any disease, pain, injury, deformity or physical condition of the
oral cavity” for remuneration without an active license/registration in
NY.
Which principle of the ADA Code of Ethics is MOST directly implicated
when a dentist discloses minimal treatment options because more
extensive care is financially advantageous?
A. Autonomy
B. Beneficence
C. Non-maleficence
D. Justice
ANS: A
Rationale: Informed consent requires full disclosure to respect
patients’ autonomy; withholding options violates that principle.
Under HIPAA, which of the following disclosures of Protected Health
Information (PHI) generally REQUIRES written patient authorization?
A. Submitting claims to Delta Dental
B. Sending X-rays to a referred periodontist
2
,C. Providing records to the patient’s attorney in response to a valid
subpoena without patient notice
D. Consulting with another in-office dentist for emergency coverage
ANS: C
Rationale: Disclosures for treatment, payment, and health-care
operations are permitted. An attorney’s subpoena is not
automatically covered unless accompanied by patient notice or a
qualified protective order.
Which statement best characterizes the standard of informed
consent in New York?
A. A “reasonable-patient” standard defined by Public Health Law
§2805-d
B. A “reasonable-dentist” professional standard under common law
C. The federal doctrine of presumed consent
D. The ADA’s informed consent guideline exclusively
ANS: A
Rationale: NY follows a reasonable-patient material-risk disclosure
standard codified in PHL §2805-d (adapted from medical malpractice
statute and applied in dental cases).
The doctrine of “res ipsa loquitur” is MOST likely to apply in a dental
negligence suit when:
A. A root canal fails despite proper technique.
B. A patient develops a rare allergic reaction to lidocaine.
C. A surgical bur is left in the maxillary sinus post-extraction.
D. A patient refuses recommended periodontal therapy.
ANS: C
Rationale: “Res ipsa” (the thing speaks for itself) fits where the injury
would not occur without negligence and the instrumentality was
under defendant’s control (retained foreign object).
New York State Regents Rule Part 29 designates failure to maintain
records for at least ___ years as professional misconduct.
A. 3
3
, B. 5
C. 6
D. 10
ANS: C
Rationale: Dentists must keep records for a minimum of six years (or
until patient is 22 for minors).
Which of the following is within the LEGAL scope of practice of a
licensed New York Registered Dental Hygienist working under
“collaborative practice” per Education Law §6606-b?
A. Delivering infiltration anesthesia
B. Adjusting prosthodontic appliances intra-orally
C. Placing nonsurgical periodontal dressings
D. Diagnosing periapical pathology
ANS: C
Rationale: Collaborative hygienists may place and remove
periodontal dressings; anesthesia and diagnosis remain outside their
scope.
A dentist who advertises “specialist in cosmetic dentistry” without
having specialty certification approved by the NYSED Office of the
Professions is violating which ethical principle?
A. Veracity
B. Beneficence
C. Justice
D. Non-maleficence
ANS: A
Rationale: Misleading advertisement breaches veracity; it is also
unprofessional conduct under Regents Rule 29.
In a civil malpractice action, the plaintiff must show duty, breach,
causation, and damages. Which type of damages compensates for
pain and suffering?
A. Nominal
B. Punitive
4
Dental Jurisprudence
Final Exam Review
(With Solutions)
2025
1
,Multiple-Choice (1–15)
Choose the ONE best ANS.
The New York State Education Law (Article 133) defines “unlicensed
practice of dentistry” as which of the following?
A. Providing any preventive service without a supervising dentist
present
B. Performing a dental procedure for compensation while not
currently registered to practice in New York
C. Practicing dentistry in any setting outside New York State
D. Billing a third-party payer without the patient’s signature
ANS: B
Rationale: Article 133 states that a person is practicing dentistry
unlawfully when he or she “diagnoses, treats, operates or prescribes
for any disease, pain, injury, deformity or physical condition of the
oral cavity” for remuneration without an active license/registration in
NY.
Which principle of the ADA Code of Ethics is MOST directly implicated
when a dentist discloses minimal treatment options because more
extensive care is financially advantageous?
A. Autonomy
B. Beneficence
C. Non-maleficence
D. Justice
ANS: A
Rationale: Informed consent requires full disclosure to respect
patients’ autonomy; withholding options violates that principle.
Under HIPAA, which of the following disclosures of Protected Health
Information (PHI) generally REQUIRES written patient authorization?
A. Submitting claims to Delta Dental
B. Sending X-rays to a referred periodontist
2
,C. Providing records to the patient’s attorney in response to a valid
subpoena without patient notice
D. Consulting with another in-office dentist for emergency coverage
ANS: C
Rationale: Disclosures for treatment, payment, and health-care
operations are permitted. An attorney’s subpoena is not
automatically covered unless accompanied by patient notice or a
qualified protective order.
Which statement best characterizes the standard of informed
consent in New York?
A. A “reasonable-patient” standard defined by Public Health Law
§2805-d
B. A “reasonable-dentist” professional standard under common law
C. The federal doctrine of presumed consent
D. The ADA’s informed consent guideline exclusively
ANS: A
Rationale: NY follows a reasonable-patient material-risk disclosure
standard codified in PHL §2805-d (adapted from medical malpractice
statute and applied in dental cases).
The doctrine of “res ipsa loquitur” is MOST likely to apply in a dental
negligence suit when:
A. A root canal fails despite proper technique.
B. A patient develops a rare allergic reaction to lidocaine.
C. A surgical bur is left in the maxillary sinus post-extraction.
D. A patient refuses recommended periodontal therapy.
ANS: C
Rationale: “Res ipsa” (the thing speaks for itself) fits where the injury
would not occur without negligence and the instrumentality was
under defendant’s control (retained foreign object).
New York State Regents Rule Part 29 designates failure to maintain
records for at least ___ years as professional misconduct.
A. 3
3
, B. 5
C. 6
D. 10
ANS: C
Rationale: Dentists must keep records for a minimum of six years (or
until patient is 22 for minors).
Which of the following is within the LEGAL scope of practice of a
licensed New York Registered Dental Hygienist working under
“collaborative practice” per Education Law §6606-b?
A. Delivering infiltration anesthesia
B. Adjusting prosthodontic appliances intra-orally
C. Placing nonsurgical periodontal dressings
D. Diagnosing periapical pathology
ANS: C
Rationale: Collaborative hygienists may place and remove
periodontal dressings; anesthesia and diagnosis remain outside their
scope.
A dentist who advertises “specialist in cosmetic dentistry” without
having specialty certification approved by the NYSED Office of the
Professions is violating which ethical principle?
A. Veracity
B. Beneficence
C. Justice
D. Non-maleficence
ANS: A
Rationale: Misleading advertisement breaches veracity; it is also
unprofessional conduct under Regents Rule 29.
In a civil malpractice action, the plaintiff must show duty, breach,
causation, and damages. Which type of damages compensates for
pain and suffering?
A. Nominal
B. Punitive
4
