In a recent meeting of the Alabama Board of Dental Examiners, significant discussions centered around regulatory changes, financial penalties, and concerns regarding board conduct. Executive Director Blake Circle reported on the board's efforts to address findings from a recent audit, including the reinstatement of a nominal fee for mobile clinic facility permits for child care organizations, which had previously been waived without statutory authority. This change allows approximately 300 children to receive free care this year, after a potential fee increase from $0 to $15,000 was averted.

The board also discussed ongoing modifications to rules governing dentists administering Botox, with a final hearing yielding no opposition to the proposed regulations. Circle acknowledged that many findings from the audit were not due to malfeasance but rather procedural oversights, with many issues already rectified.

However, the meeting was marked by a stark critique from Dr. Lee Shamoon, who highlighted the board's disciplinary practices, claiming that fear among dentists prevents open criticism. Shamoon noted that since 2017, the board has sanctioned approximately 300 licensees, with 51 sanctions occurring in the first half of this year alone. He called for a restructuring of the board and a revision of the Alabama Dental Practice Act to prevent what he described as an abusive legal process.

The board's financials were also scrutinized, revealing a significant increase in fines and penalties, attributed to a backlog of cases during the COVID-19 pandemic and a new monitoring system for continuing education compliance. The board's cash reserves have grown from $1.7 million to $3.7 million, prompting discussions on how to effectively utilize these funds for the benefit of the profession.

As the meeting concluded, members of the sunset committee expressed a desire for improved oversight and transparency within the board, emphasizing the need for ongoing reforms to ensure accountability and public trust in the regulatory process.