SB 567 — relative to the composition of the board of dental examiners and relative to the practice of dentistry and when radiographic examinations are required.

SB 567-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSESENATE 02/19/2026 0682s 14May2026...SESSION 26-2172 09/06 SENATE BILL 567-FN AN ACT relative to the composition of the board of dental examiners.

1750h 14May2026...

1965h SESSION 26-2172 09/06 SENATE BILL 567-FN AN ACT relative to the composition of the board of dental examiners and relative to the practice of dentistry and when radiographic examinations are required.

Executive Departments and Administration ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── AMENDED ANALYSIS This bill:bill mandates that one member of the board of dental examiners be a general dentist.

I.

Mandates that one member of the board of dental examiners be a general dentist.

II.

Mandates that radiographic screening shall not be performed before the clinical examination.

The decision to obtain a radiograph or CBCT scan shall be made on the basis of the patient's medical and dental histories, clinical examination, disease risk assessment, presence of a clinical condition, and previously obtained radiographic imaging.

III.

Provides that a dentist may treat a patient who declines to have a radiographic examination and the dentist in such cases shall require the patient to sign a waiver of liability.

SB 567-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSESENATE 02/19/2026 0682s 14May2026...26-2172 09/06 STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six AN ACT relative to the composition of the board of dental examiners.

1750h 14May2026...

1965h 26-2172 09/06 STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six AN ACT relative to the composition of the board of dental examiners and relative to the practice of dentistry and when radiographic examinations are required.

2 Finding.Effective Date.

WithThis respectact to section 3 of this section, the general court finds that general recommendation 1.2 from the January 2026 publication "American Dental Association and American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology patient selection for dental radiography and cone-beam computed tomography Clinical recommendations" in the Journal of the American Dental Association states that "radiographic screening shall nottake beeffect performedSeptember before1, the2026. clinical examination.

TheLBA decision26-2172 to3/2/26 obtainSB a567-FN- radiographFISCAL orNOTE CBCTAS scanAMENDED shallBY beTHE madeSENATE on(AMENDMENT the#2026-0682s) basisAN ofACT therelative patient'sto medicalthe andcomposition dentalof histories,the clinicalboard examination, disease risk assessment, presence of adental clinicalexaminers. condition, and previously obtained radiographic imaging.

The benefits to the diagnosis and treatment planning must outweigh the potential risks from exposure to radiation, especially in the case of a child or young adult." 3 New Paragraph;

Practice of Dentistry;

X-Rays;

When Required.

Amend RSA 317-A:17 by inserting after paragraph II the following new paragraph:

II-a.

Notwithstanding RSA 317-A:17, II(g) and recognizing that the clinical guidelines published by the American Dental Association and the American Dental Hygienists Society state that they are not intended as regulatory documents, the board shall not take action against a licensee for variations from clinical guidelines intended to provide person-centered care that is specific for each individual and which considers the person's needs, values and preferences.

(a) Radiographic screening shall not be performed before the clinical examination.

The decision to obtain a radiograph or CBCT scan shall be made on the basis of the patient's medical and dental histories, clinical examination, disease risk assessment, presence of a clinical condition, and previously obtained radiographic imaging.

The benefits to the diagnosis and treatment planning SB 567-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE - Page 2 - must outweigh the potential risks from exposure to radiation, especially in the case of a child or young adult.

(b) When the decision to obtain a radiograph is refused by the patient, the dentist may treat the patient who has declined to have a radiographic examination.

 In such cases, the dentist shall require the patient to sign a waiver of liability, indicating that the patient waives the right to sue the dentist in the event that the lack of a radiographic examination results in unforeseen injury to the patient.

  No dentist shall be subject to license suspension, revocation, or any other disciplinary action by the board for actions taken pursuant to this paragraph.

4 Effective Date.

I.

Section 1 of this act shall take effect September 1, 2026.

II.

The remainder of this act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

LBA 26-2172 05/18/2026 SB 567-FN- FISCAL NOTE AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE (AMENDMENTS #2026-1750h and #2026-1965h) AN ACT relative to the composition of the board of dental examiners and relative to the practice of dentistry and when radiographic examinations are required.