# California Law and Ethics practice questions: Patient education

Five original California Law and Ethics practice questions on patient education, each answered on this page with a rationale and a source.

Last updated: 2026-09-29.

## Question 1

A new patient needs two posterior restorations at the first treatment visit. The assistant suggests mailing the Dental Materials Fact Sheet with the post-visit paperwork "since it's just an informational handout." What does California law require?

- A. Mail the DMFS within 15 days after treatment, matching the records-copy timeline.
- B. Post the DMFS in the waiting area, which satisfies the notice duty for all patients.
- C. Provide the DMFS and obtain a signed acknowledgment before the restorative work.
- D. Discuss materials verbally — the DMFS is required only when a patient specifically asks about amalgam.

**Answer C:** Provide the DMFS and obtain a signed acknowledgment before the restorative work.

BPC §1648.15 requires the dentist to provide the Dental Materials Fact Sheet to every new patient, and to patients of record, before performing dental restoration work, with the signed acknowledgment placed in the permanent record; §1648.10 only directs the Board to develop the DMFS.

**Common trap:** citing §1648.10 for the provide-and-sign duty is a known prep error — the duties live in §1648.15.

Source: [California Business & Professions Code §1648.15 — duty to provide the Dental Materials Fact Sheet before restoration work, with signed acknowledgment…](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=1648.15)

## Question 2

An office's pediatric general-anesthesia consent form advises parents "to consult with a pediatrician before proceeding," but omits the remaining information required by §1682(e)(2). Which correction does BPC §1682 require?

- A. None — any consult-your-doctor phrasing satisfies the statutory warning requirement.
- B. The warning must use the statutory language, and the consent must precede the anesthesia.
- C. The form needs only a 14-point-type signature block to comply with the statute.
- D. The statutory warning is required only for pediatric patients under the age of 7.

**Answer B:** The warning must use the statutory language, and the consent must precede the anesthesia.

BPC §1682(e)(1) requires written consent before moderate sedation, deep sedation, or GA. The additional information in (e)(2) applies specifically to general anesthesia in a minor and includes the consultation phrase naming the dentist, family physician, and pediatrician.

**Common trap:** "consult a pediatrician" alone is stale — AB 1622 (2019) amended the language to name all three professionals.

Source: [BPC §1682 — written consent for moderate/deep/GA; additional information for a minor’s general anesthesia, §1682(e)(2); monitoring and recovery,…](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=1682)

## Question 3

A new patient presents to a California practice. The dentist diagnoses a disto-occlusal carious lesion on tooth #29 and recommends a composite resin restoration. The patient signs a generic informed consent form, and the dentist places the restoration. Upon reviewing the chart at the end of the day, the dentist realizes the patient was never provided with the Dental Materials Fact Sheet (DMFS). Which of the following is true regarding the dentist's regulatory compliance?

- A. The dentist is compliant, because the DMFS is only required when placing amalgam restorations.
- B. The dentist violated California law by not providing the DMFS before the restoration.
- C. The dentist may cure the breach by providing the DMFS at the patient's next hygiene appointment.
- D. The dentist is compliant, because the signed generic consent form covers material disclosures.

**Answer B:** The dentist violated California law by not providing the DMFS before the restoration.

Two companion statutes split the DMFS duties: BPC §1648.10 directs the Dental Board to develop the fact sheet, while BPC §1648.15 requires the dentist to give the DMFS to every new patient (and to patients of record) before performing dental restoration work, with the patient's signed acknowledgment of receipt placed in the permanent dental record before the restorative treatment. Generic consent forms do not satisfy this requirement.

**Common trap:** Assuming the DMFS is only required when placing amalgam due to mercury warnings, believing that providing the fact sheet at the next hygiene visit cures the regulatory breach, or citing §1648.10 for the provide-and-sign duty — that duty lives in §1648.15.

Source: [BPC section 1648.10 — Dental Board duty to develop the dental materials fact sheet](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=1648.10)

## Question 4

Effective January 2026, a Management Services Organization (MSO) backed by a private equity group acquires a dental practice. The regional manager mandates that all associate dentists see a minimum of 25 patients per day and bans the practice from ordering a specific high-tier glass ionomer cement to force the use of a cheaper, generic resin. How should the treating dentist respond?

- A. Accept the patient quota, but push back informally on the clinical material restriction.
- B. Reject both directives, because they are illegal corporate interference in clinical judgment.
- C. Accept both directives, because operational efficiency and supply costs are administrative matters.
- D. Accept both directives temporarily while requesting a written exemption from the regional manager.

**Answer B:** Reject both directives, because they are illegal corporate interference in clinical judgment.

Senate Bill 351 (codified at HSC §1191, effective January 1, 2026) prohibits a private equity group or hedge fund from interfering with a dentist's clinical judgment — including exercising control over patient volume and the selection of clinical equipment and supplies. Because this MSO is backed by a private equity group, the prohibitions reach its directives through the controlling investors.

**Common trap:** Believing that corporate management has the legal right to control material overhead costs and scheduling, overriding the clinician's autonomy — and note the statute's scope: HSC §1191 names private equity groups and hedge funds, not MSOs by name; a PE-backed MSO is reached indirectly through its investors.

Source: [Senate Bill 351 (2025), codified at HSC section 1191 — restrictions on private equity and hedge fund clinical interference; effective 1/1/2026](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=1191)

## Question 5

A patient experiencing acute localized pain initiates an emergency teledentistry consultation via video call. The dentist identifies herself, visually examines the swelling, diagnoses a periapical abscess, and prescribes an antibiotic. Immediately following the call, the dentist emails the patient a telehealth consent form to sign and return. What critical error did the dentist commit?

- A. The dentist prescribed an antibiotic without any prior in-person examination.
- B. The dentist failed to record the video consultation for the patient's dental chart.
- C. The dentist began remote services before obtaining and documenting telehealth consent.
- D. The dentist used a synchronous video platform instead of an asynchronous one for an emergency.

**Answer C:** The dentist began remote services before obtaining and documenting telehealth consent.

BPC §2290.5 mandates that telehealth consent—whether verbal or written—must be obtained and documented prior to the delivery of services, not retroactively.

**Common trap:** Believing that because the patient initiated the video call, "implied consent" bypasses the strict statutory documentation requirement of BPC §2290.5.

Source: [BPC section 2290.5 telehealth consent and parity](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=2290.5)

## Next step

[Take the free 15-question practice test](https://dentovio.com/free-practice-test)

Official reference: [Dental Board of California — Law and Ethics Examination](https://www.dbc.ca.gov/applicants/law_and_ethics_exam.shtml). Original exam-style questions written for study, never recalled exam content. Independent educational preparation, not legal advice, and not affiliated with or endorsed by the Dental Board of California. Confirm current requirements with the Board.