Notice is hereby given that the Board of Dentistry has received a Petition for Declaratory Statement filed by Chris P. Farrugia, DDS, on September 5, 2013.The Petitioner seeks a Declaratory Statement from the Board with regard to Chapter 466.003, F.S., and seeks the agency's opinion as it applies to the petitioner. The petitioner is seeking the Board’s interpretation as to whether it is in the scope and practice of a Dentist to:
1.Use testing devices (such as the Eccovision Rhinometer/Pharyngometer) to screen medically undiagnosed sleep disordered breathing (SDB) patients for dentists trained in their use and licensed in the State of Florida (Chapter 466, F.S.);
2.Provide their patients who have been identified as at risk of SDB by medical history, oral evaluation, and screening protocol with Home Sleep Test equipment and in turn provide the collected data to a qualified medical practitioners for interpretation and diagnosis;
3.Utilize these types of devices (Rhinometry, Pharyngometry and Home Sleep Test) to assist in determining the initial amount of mandibular advancement, titrating an oral appliance, and to monitor treatment efficacy during the course of treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) with Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT);
4.Use Expiratory Positive Airway Pressure (EPAP), either alone or in combination with OAT; and
5.Does the fabrication of snore appliances for these patients by dentists licensed in the State of Florida (Chapter 466, F.S.) meet the standard of care set forth in Chapter 466, F.S., without first screening for SDB by thorough medical history, oral evaluation, and when indicated, referral to either the patients primary care physician or sleep lab for evaluation and diagnosis for suspected SDB?
The board will address this at the next available board meeting.
Except for good cause shown, motions for leave to intervene must be filed within 21 days after the publication of this notice.
A copy of the Petition for Declaratory Statement may be obtained by contacting: Susan Foster, Executive Director, Board of Dentistry, 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin #C08, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3258 or by email at info@floridasdentistry.gov within 14 days of publication of this notice.
Comments on this petition should be filed with the Board of Dentistry within 14 days of publication of this notice.
