Top 10 Frequently Asked Questions That Help FDA Members Succeed

Top 10 frequently asked questions

that help FDA members succeed

By Casey Stoutamire, FDA Director of Third Party Payer and Professional Affairs

The Florida Dental Association’s (FDA) mission statement is “Helping Members Succeed.” We take that to heart and want you to call us first whenever you have a question related to your practice, whether it be related to practice management, finance, scope of practice, anesthesia or sedation, licensure, CDT coding, insurance plans — the list goes on and on! And if we don’t know the answer, we will find it for you or point you to the expert in that subject. Below is just a few of the type of questions we can help you with. We look forward to talking with you soon!

1. Do I have to take the dental licensure exam again if I want to relocate to Florida?

The Florida Board of Dentistry (BOD) is the body that regulates and licenses dentists in the state. Currently, Florida accepts the ADEX exam, as administered by the Commission on Dental Competency Assessments (CDCA) as its licensure exam. This means if you take this exam, whether in Florida or another state, you can use those results to apply for licensure in Florida. The BOD accepts all scores after Oct. 1, 2011, which means you only have to take the exam again if you took the licensure exam before that date. And, as of May 2022, Florida now accepts the non-patient-based exam for licensure.

2. How long do I have to keep patient records?

The BOD rule states that patient records must be kept for at least four years and the four-year retention period is calculated from the date the patient was last examined or treated (Rule 64B5-17.002(4)). However, your malpractice carrier may recommend you keep the records for seven years for statute of limitations purposes.

3. What do I need to have in my patient records?

Rule 64B5-17.002(1) states: The dental record shall contain sufficient information to identify the patient, support the diagnosis, justify the treatment and document the course and results of treatment accurately, by including, at a minimum, patient histories; X-rays (if taken); examination results; test results; records of drugs prescribed, dispensed or administered; reports of consultation or referrals; and copies of records or reports or other documentation obtained from health care practitioners at the request of the dentist and relied upon by the dentist in determining the appropriate treatment of the patient. Remember, your records are your best defense if you ever have a patient complaint so the more thorough they are, the better!

4. Dental plan XYZ denied a patient’s claim. Or, can the dental plan bundle all the CDT codes for a crown or the dental plan only reimbursed for x procedure when I performed y?

I am the Director of Third Party Payer and Professional Affairs. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any and all questions related to insurance and dealing with insurance plans. I can’t guarantee a positive outcome, but I do have contacts with decision makers at most of the dental

plans, so I can put them in contact with your office to help resolve a case. Additionally, before you sign a contract with a plan, make sure to send me a blank, unsigned copy. The ADA and FDA offer a free contract review as a member benefit.

5. What task can my hygienist or assistant perform and under what supervision level?

I am not a dentist – (I like to say I play one on tv!) however, I can discuss the BOD rules about assigning remediable tasks to hygienists and assistants with you to determine what tasks can be performed and what supervision level and training is required.

6. I have a patient claiming I “messed up” their treatment and now they want a refund?

The FDA offers peer review as a member benefit. Ms. Lywanda Tucker is our peer review coordinator. She is happy to work with the patient and your office to resolve the claim and try to prevent a BOD complaint or a lawsuit.

7. I’m looking at the new CDT code book and

I’m not sure which code I should submit for x procedure.

Again, I’m not a dentist, but I can review the CDT code book with you. And, if I’m not able to decipher the correct code, I can put you in touch with the point person in the coding department at the ADA.

8. My office just received a subpoena for records related to a patient I previously treated. or

I’m having issues with one of my employees and I’m not sure how to handle. (I don’t want to get sued!)

While we cannot give individual legal advice, I do triage legal questions. Always give us a call with your legal questions and I will either answer it or refer you to the law firm the FDA uses that also provides FDA members with a discount.

Remember, your records are your best defense if you ever have a patient complaint so the more thorough they are, the better!

9. I’m tired of being in-network with insurance plans and I want to drop all of them, can you help?

Yes, we can give you advice on the required notice timelines in the contract you signed with the plan and help you with notifying patients of the change. In addition, we can answer questions about setting up your own in-house plan to benefit your patients.

10. I just saw a post on Instagram of a non-dentist providing dental services.

Do NOT report this to the BOD. This is an area where anti-trust issues are a major concern. Luckily, the state of Florida has a special unit, the Unlicensed Activity Bureau, which will investigate all complaints related to unlicensed practice of dentistry. You can find more information and file a complaint here: https://flhealthsource.gov/ula/.

As you can see, your FDA offers guidance on a variety of topics you will encounter during your day-to-day practice. Please don’t hesitate to call us so we can fulfill our mission of “Helping Members Succeed”!