New Proposed Maryland Regulations: Here's What You Need to Know

Here’s what we know about Maryland's HB 499

If you’re a dental professional in Maryland, then chances are you’ve felt the confusion around the newly proposed House Bill 499 (Chapter 905). We know there’s a lot of mixed emotions regarding this new legislation, and a majority of our partners in Maryland are expressing confusion about what this really means for their offices and infection control protocols. We’re here to help break down HB 499 together- let’s jump right into what we know so far so you can understand what this legislation could mean for you and your office.

What is MD HB 499?

As of October 1, 2024, Maryland proposed new infection control legislation for dental practices, requiring each dental office to designate a licensed supervising dentist specifically responsible for “infection control activities.” These activities include things like spore and waterline testing, but do not include supervising things like individual dentists' use of personal protective equipment or instrument sterilization. The supervising dentist must register with the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners and oversee all infection control activities within the practice, ensuring compliance with state and CDC guidelines. It’s important to note that Maryland has been a long-time adopter of the CDC’s guidelines for safe dental care, so HB 499 is not so much about defining new protocols as it is highlighting the importance of designating a responsible party to ensure that important aspects of patient safety, like waterline compliance, are not overlooked.

Why is HB 499 important?

As Robert R. Windsor, D.D.S. Board President stated, “...the Board believes that to properly protect the public from an unsanitary practice, a specific licensed dentist should have overall responsibility for infection control in the office...” Let's face it, everyone wants to provide the best care and environment for their patients, but offices are busy, and sometimes infection control designation can live in a grey area of responsibility among team members. With HB 499, Maryland wants to take steps to clarify who is responsible for ensuring their office(s) are doing what’s necessary for patient safety. Based on what we know, this proposed legislation seems, at least in part, to be motivated by the desire to ensure rapidly expanding DSOs and multi-practice groups are effective and consistent in their infection prevention across offices. The dental board seems to be working to resolve situations where one practice in a group may get fast and loose with safety, and no licensed dentist is clearly responsible, making addressing the breaches far more convoluted. Overall, patient safety appears to be the heart and motivation of this bill.

What’s the impact for dental offices?

For both private practice dentists and DSOs, the proposed law requires each owner dentist to designate a licensed supervising dentist for their office(s). If the designated dentist relinquishes responsibility, the owner must immediately appoint an interim supervising dentist. While other staff members may assist with regulatory compliance, the registered supervising dentist is ultimately held accountable to the Board of Dental Examiners for infection control activities - like spore testing and dental unit waterline testing. Kellie Thimmes, Our Director of Education, spoke to a member of the Maryland Dental Board, who shared “dentists are able to register now by logging into their online portal or by calling the Board directly.” If passed, dentists must fill out this form when they renew their license. Now the big f-word: Fees. They’re no one’s favorite topic, but they are a reality of this proposed legislation, even if they’re a pain in the tooth. There’s good news here, though! Initial registration fees will likely be combined with new or renewal license applications, so HB 499 will likely result in no additional fee to the dentist. Even better news (sigh of relief): if there are changes in ownership registration, they will likely result in a teeny fee of about $10. If you want to learn more, you can read more about HB 499’s Fiscal Notes here.

Resources to drive your success

Whether your state dental board enacts legislation or not, we all know that dental unit waterline maintenance is important. To meet the proposed requirements of HB 499 and to ensure safe water for your patients and practice, ProEdge recommends that offices:

• Follow the 3-step proven protocol to ensure that your dental waterlines are compliant.
• Complete the CDC’s Infection Prevention Checklist
• Implement SOP documentation, SOP training for all clinical staff, and testing documentation

Need help getting started? We have you covered! Check out these resources for success:

• Connect with our Safe Water Specialists at 888-843-3343 or support@proedgedental.com
• Ensure documentation of compliance with ProEdge Clear™, a complimentary waterline compliance platform that helps you mitigate risk and improve compliance- all in one place.
• Discover effective solutions to achieve safe water for your office with our live or on-demand Safe Water Webinar
• Visit our Learning Center for in-depth answers to all your waterline related questions
• Explore our state-by-state Waterline Compliance Map to learn what your state says about waterline compliance
• Learn on the go with our safe water Video Library