• 54 questions

Tennessee Dental Jurisprudence Exam Study Guide: Practice Questions

Unofficial study practice on the Tennessee Board of Dentistry's rules, every answer with its rule number.

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How many hours of continuing education must a licensed dentist complete in each two-calendar-year cycle?

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the Tennessee Board of Dentistry. Bank checked October 13, 2026.

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Licenses, renewal and continuing education 15

  • A dentist holds a conscious sedation permit. How many of the 40 continuing education hours must be in anesthesia or sedation? Answer: A minimum of four hours. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-01-.05(1)(a). Topic: Licenses, renewal and continuing education.
  • A dentist was granted a waiver of CPR training. When may that dentist perform dental procedures? Answer: Only when someone currently trained in CPR is present in the office. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-01-.05(5)(d). Topic: Licenses, renewal and continuing education.
  • A person holds certification from the Dental Assisting National Board. What must happen before that person practices as a registered dental assistant in Tennessee? Answer: The person must be registered by the State. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-01-.01(4). Topic: Licenses, renewal and continuing education.
  • Before a working interview that includes patient care, what must the interviewing dentist do? Answer: Visually inspect and verify the candidate's Tennessee authorization. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-01-.07(1). Topic: Licenses, renewal and continuing education.
  • For how long must a licensee keep proof of attendance for a continuing education course? Answer: Three years from the end of the calendar year of the course. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-01-.05(2)(c). Topic: Licenses, renewal and continuing education.
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Licenses, renewal and continuing education, continued

  • How do the board's rules define full-time employment? Answer: A minimum of 1,500 employed hours per year. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-01-.01(11). Topic: Licenses, renewal and continuing education.
  • How many hours of continuing education must a licensed dental hygienist complete in each two-calendar-year cycle? Answer: 30 hours. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-01-.05(1)(b). Topic: Licenses, renewal and continuing education.
  • How many hours of continuing education must a licensed dentist complete in each two-calendar-year cycle? Answer: 40 hours. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-01-.05(1)(a). Topic: Licenses, renewal and continuing education.
  • How many hours of continuing education must a registered dental assistant complete in each two-calendar-year cycle? Answer: 24 hours. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-01-.05(1)(c). Topic: Licenses, renewal and continuing education.
  • Of the continuing education hours each cycle, how many must pertain to chemical dependency education? Answer: At least two hours. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-01-.05(1). Topic: Licenses, renewal and continuing education.
  • To reinstate an expired dental license, for what period must continuing education be documented? Answer: The entire time the license was expired. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-02-.08(2). Topic: Licenses, renewal and continuing education.
  • What continuing education does a newly licensed dentist owe for the initial two-calendar-year cycle? Answer: None: new licensees are exempt. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-01-.05(1)(d). Topic: Licenses, renewal and continuing education.
  • When is a dentist's license renewal due? Answer: The last day of the licensee's birth month. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-02-.08(1)(a). Topic: Licenses, renewal and continuing education.
  • Which CPR course meets the rule for biennial renewal? Answer: An in-person course with a manikin skills examination. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-01-.05(4)(a). Topic: Licenses, renewal and continuing education.
  • Which examination must a dentist show proof of completing to be eligible for renewal? Answer: The board's Ethics and Jurisprudence examination. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-02-.08(1)(c). Topic: Licenses, renewal and continuing education.

Hygienists and assistants: scope and supervision 15

  • A certified hygienist administers local anesthesia. Where must the supervising dentist be? Answer: Physically present at the same office location. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-03-.09(5). Topic: Hygienists and assistants: scope and supervision.
  • A hygienist assists a dentist by teledentistry. Which services may the hygienist perform? Answer: Only what general supervision allows in person. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-01-.19(3). Topic: Hygienists and assistants: scope and supervision.
  • For what may a licensed dental hygienist use a laser? Answer: Examination and/or periodontal treatment, under supervision. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-03-.09(1)(ww). Topic: Hygienists and assistants: scope and supervision.
  • For which purpose may a dental assistant NOT take an alginate impression? Answer: Permanent restorations. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-04-.08(3)(o). Topic: Hygienists and assistants: scope and supervision.
  • How may a dental assistant remove excess cement from the supragingival surface of teeth? Answer: By hand instruments only. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-04-.08(3)(z). Topic: Hygienists and assistants: scope and supervision.
  • To how many patients at a time may a hygienist administer and monitor nitrous oxide? Answer: One. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-03-.06. Topic: Hygienists and assistants: scope and supervision.
  • Under what level of supervision does a practical dental assistant work? Answer: Direct supervision of a licensed dentist. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-04-.01(1). Topic: Hygienists and assistants: scope and supervision.
  • Under what supervision may a licensed dental hygienist perform root planing and subgingival curettage? Answer: Direct supervision of a licensed dentist. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-03-.09(3). Topic: Hygienists and assistants: scope and supervision.
  • What does the dental assistant rule say about a high-speed handpiece? Answer: Use of a high-speed handpiece intraorally is prohibited. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-04-.08(4)(l). Topic: Hygienists and assistants: scope and supervision.
  • What may a registered dental assistant with nitrous oxide certification do? Answer: Monitor nitrous oxide sedation, not administer it. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-04-.05. Topic: Hygienists and assistants: scope and supervision.
  • Which of these is a licensed dental hygienist NOT permitted to do? Answer: Diagnosis and treatment planning. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-03-.09(7). Topic: Hygienists and assistants: scope and supervision.
  • Which of these may a registered dental assistant perform only with additional board-approved training? Answer: Coronal polishing. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-04-.08(2). Topic: Hygienists and assistants: scope and supervision.
  • Which suture task may be delegated to a dental assistant? Answer: Removal of sutures and staples. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-04-.08(3) and (4). Topic: Hygienists and assistants: scope and supervision.
  • Who may apply a prescription teeth whitening formulation, and how? Answer: A hygienist or registered dental assistant, under direct supervision. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-01-.10. Topic: Hygienists and assistants: scope and supervision.
  • Who, under the dental assistant scope rule, is authorized to perform procedures involving laser technology? Answer: Only dentists licensed by the Tennessee Board of Dentistry. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-04-.08(4)(m). Topic: Hygienists and assistants: scope and supervision.

Dental records and patient rights 10

  • A dentist retires. Which patients must be notified and urged to find a new dentist? Answer: Patients seen in the preceding 36 months. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-02-.12(4)(f). Topic: Dental records and patient rights.
  • A dentist treats a nursing home patient in the facility. Where are the procedures recorded? Answer: In both the dental record and the nursing home record. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-01-.15. Topic: Dental records and patient rights.
  • A patient owes money for past treatment and asks for a copy of the dental record. What does the rule say? Answer: The dentist shall not withhold records for non-payment. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-02-.12(4)(b). Topic: Dental records and patient rights.
  • A record is past its retention period but the services in it are under dispute. May it be destroyed? Answer: No, not until the dispute is resolved. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-02-.12(4)(g). Topic: Dental records and patient rights.
  • Below what amount need a malpractice judgment, award or settlement not be reported under the consumer right-to-know rule? Answer: $25,000. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-01-.17(1). Topic: Dental records and patient rights.
  • For how long must a dentist keep an adult patient's dental records? Answer: Not less than seven years from the last professional contact. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-02-.12(4)(g). Topic: Dental records and patient rights.
  • How long are the dental records of a minor kept? Answer: One year past majority or seven years from last contact, if longer. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-02-.12(4)(g). Topic: Dental records and patient rights.
  • How long are the dental records of an incompetent patient kept? Answer: Indefinitely. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-02-.12(4)(g). Topic: Dental records and patient rights.
  • Under the patient rights rule, what goes with a patient's right to refuse a diagnostic procedure or treatment? Answer: Being advised of the consequences of that refusal. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-01-.16. Topic: Dental records and patient rights.
  • Where the dental records rule requires notice to patients, how soon must it be issued? Answer: Within 30 days of the event. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-02-.12(4)(c). Topic: Dental records and patient rights.

Advertising and unprofessional conduct 6

  • A dentist leaves a practice. After how long may the practice no longer use that dentist's name in advertising or on office signs? Answer: After 30 days. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-02-.10(4)(r). Topic: Advertising and unprofessional conduct.
  • An advertisement gives a fee and no time period. How long must the fee be honored? Answer: 30 days from the last publication or until the next one, if later. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-02-.10(3)(e). Topic: Advertising and unprofessional conduct.
  • For controlled substance prescriptions, when does the conduct rule say a dentist/patient relationship exists? Answer: When the dentist treated the patient within the preceding year. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-01-.12(21). Topic: Advertising and unprofessional conduct.
  • Under the advertising rule, a service offered free of charge is: Answer: Not deemed a discounted fee. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-02-.10(2)(e). Topic: Advertising and unprofessional conduct.
  • When may a dentist advertise with the words "specialist" or "practice limited to"? Answer: With board certification in a listed specialty branch. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-02-.10(5). Topic: Advertising and unprofessional conduct.
  • Which act with prescription forms is listed as unprofessional conduct? Answer: Pre-signing blank prescription forms. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-01-.12(23). Topic: Advertising and unprofessional conduct.

Infection control, mobile clinics and teledentistry 8

  • A dental health care worker has weeping dermatitis. What does the rule require? Answer: No patient care until it resolves, unless barriers protect patients. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-01-.11(16). Topic: Infection control, mobile clinics and teledentistry.
  • A heat sterilizer gives a positive biological spore test. What immediate action does the rule define? Answer: Following manufacturer guidelines and running a second spore test. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-01-.11(3). Topic: Infection control, mobile clinics and teledentistry.
  • A patient under 18 seeks care by teledentistry. What does the rule require? Answer: A parent or guardian present, unless the law allows otherwise. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-01-.19(1)(d). Topic: Infection control, mobile clinics and teledentistry.
  • For how long is the testing documentation on heat sterilizing devices kept in the dental office? Answer: At least two years. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-01-.11(4). Topic: Infection control, mobile clinics and teledentistry.
  • What does the rule say about washing and reusing gloves? Answer: Gloves are never to be washed and reused. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-01-.11(11). Topic: Infection control, mobile clinics and teledentistry.
  • Which bleach dilution does the infection control rule accept for disinfection? Answer: 1:10 or 1:100. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-01-.11(6). Topic: Infection control, mobile clinics and teledentistry.
  • Which of these counts as teledentistry under the rule? Answer: Secure video conferencing or store-and-forward. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-01-.19(1)(b). Topic: Infection control, mobile clinics and teledentistry.
  • Who may NOT operate or own a mobile dental clinic? Answer: A dental hygienist or dental assistant. Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0460-01-.14(1). Topic: Infection control, mobile clinics and teledentistry.

How this list was compiled: Our own questions on the rules the Tennessee Board of Dentistry's jurisprudence exam is drawn from. The board's page (https://www.tn.gov/health/licensure/den.html, opened 2026-10-13) says the exam is on the statutes, rules and regulations for the dental professions, is open book and online, has no score, and is complete when 25 questions are answered correctly; it publishes no content outline, so the five topics here are this site's own sorting. Every fact was read on 2026-10-13 in the Rules of the Tennessee Board of Dentistry on the Tennessee Secretary of State's site (https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/rules/0460/0460.htm): chapter 0460-01 General Rules, 0460-02 Rules Governing the Practice of Dentistry, 0460-03 Rules Governing the Practice of Dental Hygienists, 0460-04 Rules Governing the Practice of Dental Assistants. Each question names its rule and links to the chapter. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site, written from the public text of the Tennessee Board of Dentistry's rules. Nothing is taken from the board's jurisprudence exam, a prep company or a review book.

How it works

An unofficial Tennessee dental jurisprudence exam study guide in question form: 54 of our own questions from the board's rules, chapters 0460-01 to 0460-04. The Tennessee Board of Dentistry owns the real exam and is not affiliated with this page.

Read the full guide

What this bank covers

Rules only: licenses, renewal and continuing education; what hygienists and assistants may do and under which supervision; records and patient rights; conduct and public claims; infection control, mobile clinics and teledentistry. Fees, sedation permits and the statute's own text are not asked. A mock run asks 25 questions and gives a score with no verdict. Practice for an exam, not medical advice.

  • Dentists owe 40 hours of continuing education each two-year cycle, hygienists 30, registered dental assistants 24 (Rule 0460-01-.05).
  • Adult records are kept seven years from the last professional contact (Rule 0460-02-.12).
  • A dental assistant may remove sutures but may not place them (Rule 0460-04-.08).

Questions and answers

Is there a Tennessee dental jurisprudence exam study guide?

The board's page lists none. It says the exam is on the statutes, rules and regulations for the dental professions and links them during the exam. This page turns the rules into practice questions, each naming the rule to read.

How many questions are on the Tennessee dental jurisprudence exam?

The board's page gives no fixed length. It says you must get a total of 25 questions correct, and a congratulations screen shows the exam is complete. There is no score.

Is the Tennessee dental jurisprudence exam open book?

Yes. The board calls it an open book exam with a link to the statutes, rules and regulations that can be opened while you take it. It is taken online, with no paper version.

Who has to take the Tennessee dental jurisprudence exam?

All dental professionals, the board's page says: the exam must be complete before a license is first issued, renewed, reinstated or reactivated. The board lists it for dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants alike.

Is this the real Tennessee jurisprudence exam?

No. The questions are our own, written from the public text of the board's rules, never from the exam. The Tennessee Board of Dentistry did not write or review this page.

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