65-1427. Specialists; standards and qualifications; certificate fee; limiting practice; misdemeanor; suspension or revocation of license. (a) No dentist shall announce or hold out to the public that such dentist is a specialist, or is specially qualified in any particular branch of dentistry, or as giving special attention to any branch of dentistry, or limiting such dentist's practice to any branch of dentistry, unless such dentist has complied with additional requirements established by the board, and has been issued a certificate of qualification authorizing such dentist to do so.

(b) The board is hereby empowered to establish higher standards and additional requirements for any dentist who desires to announce or hold out to the public that such dentist is specially qualified in any particular branch of dentistry. The board is hereby empowered to give such examination as it may deem necessary to determine the qualifications of applicants and may secure such assistance as the board may deem advisable in determining the qualifications of applicants.

(c) Upon application to the board of any licensed dentist in this state, the board may issue a certificate of qualification to such dentist authorizing the applicant to hold out, or to announce, to the public that such dentist is specially qualified in, or limits such dentist's practice to, or gives special attention to any one of the recognized branches of dentistry. The application to the board shall be upon such form and contain such information as the board may require and shall be accompanied by a certificate fee to assist in defraying the expenses in connection with the issuance of such certificates of qualification fixed by the board pursuant to K.S.A. 65-1447.

(d) Any dentist holding a certificate of qualification under this section of the act may announce the limitation of such dentist's practice by using such terms and in such manner as the board may approve, together with the name of such branch of dentistry for which such dentist is authorized to hold out to the public that such dentist has special qualifications. Any dentist who shall hold out, or announce in any manner, by the use of any terms signifying or indicating to the public that such dentist's practice is limited, or is specially qualified in any particular branch of dentistry, or that such dentist gives special attention to any particular branch of dentistry, or shall use equivalent words or phrases to announce the same, without having obtained a certificate of qualification therefor, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and the license of such dentist to practice dentistry shall be subject to suspension or revocation. Any announcement in the manner indicated in this section shall be prima facie evidence that such dentist is practicing in one branch of dentistry.

History: L. 1943, ch. 221, § 10; L. 1953, ch. 289, § 1; L. 1980, ch. 189, § 1; July 1.