May a dentist refuse to give a patient his/her records upon request?

Absolutely not. A dentist must give a patient his/her records upon request; however, the dentist may charge a "reasonable" fee for reproduction of these records. This fee should not exceed the costs incurred by the dentist for reproducing all records, including radiographs. To refuse to give a patient his/her records violates the ADA Code of Ethics and Board regulations. Refer to Board Regulation 53 and the ADA Code of Ethics.

How many years should patient records be maintained by the dentist?

Patient records should be maintained a minimum of seven (7) years from the date of LAST treatment by Board Regulation 53. However, please note that a new Mississippi Law was passed in 2024 that now requires dentists to maintain patient records for a minimum of (10) years from the date of LAST treatment.  Please refer to SB2873 as passed.  The Board will soon update Regulation 53 to include the requirements of SB2873.