Compliance documentation for Texas dental offices
Dentistry is inspected on paperwork: sterilization monitoring, radiation registration, staff credentials, and a privacy program you can actually produce. The Compliance Kit assembles that documentation set against TSBDE rules, DSHS radiation requirements, and federal OSHA and HIPAA.
More than one agency has a say
There is no single Texas license that covers everything a dental office does. These are the bodies whose rules your documentation has to satisfy.
Texas State Board of Dental Examiners
Infection control and sterilization standards enforced through 22 TAC §108.24, plus licensing and continuing education.
DSHS Radiation Control
Every x-ray unit — including panoramic and CBCT — must be registered, with written operating and safety procedures at each unit (25 TAC §§289.226, 289.232).
Federal OSHA
Bloodborne pathogens, safer-sharps evaluation, and hazard communication.
HHS & Texas HB 300
HIPAA Security Risk Analysis, business associate agreements, and Texas's 15-business-day records-request window.
What's actually at stake
Real, published maximums — not scare numbers. Every figure below is a statutory or regulatory cap, not a typical assessment.
The Security Risk Analysis is the most-cited gap
A documented HIPAA Security Risk Analysis of your electronic patient data is required under 45 CFR Part 164 Subpart C — and it is routinely the first thing requested after a complaint or breach.
Privacy penalties are set by statute
Texas Health & Safety Code §181.201 sets civil penalties of up to $5,000 per negligent violation, $25,000 per knowing violation, and $250,000 for PHI used for financial gain, up to $1.5 million a year for a pattern. Federal HIPAA is capped at $2,190,294 per provision per year (effective January 28, 2026).
OSHA applies to every operatory
Federal OSHA maximums, effective January 15, 2026: $16,550 per serious violation and $165,514 per willful or repeated violation. Texas has no state OSHA plan for private employers, so these apply directly.
Figures are maximum penalties published by the agencies themselves and verified as of August 2026. Actual assessments vary widely with the facts. Read the full Texas Dental Office compliance guide for the underlying rules.
The documents a dental office is expected to have
A 46-page manual (read the sample) plus the forms, logs, and checklists behind it — written for dental offices, not adapted from a generic national template.
- Infection control programA written program with a designated coordinator, matched to the CDC guidance TSBDE enforces.
- Sterilization monitoring logBiological (spore) testing on a documented schedule with results retained.
- Radiation registration trackerMachine registrations, renewal dates, and the written operating and safety procedures each unit needs.
- Staff credential logTSBDE radiology certificates, licenses, and registrations for every clinical role.
- HIPAA Security Risk Analysis workbookA structured way to complete and document the analysis, then re-do it when things change.
- Privacy programNotice of Privacy Practices, privacy officer designation, BAAs, and the HB 300 training log.
- OSHA exposure control planReviewed annually, with the safer-sharps evaluation documented, plus hepatitis B offers and training records.
- Records retention scheduleThe 5-year rule under 22 TAC §108.8, including the minors calculation.
One payment covers your documentation set
Start with the free assessment if you'd rather see where you stand first.
- Complete manual for dental offices
- All forms, logs & checklists above
- Training documents
- Implementation guide
- 30-day email support
- Everything in the Compliance Kit
- Updates when the rules change
- New regulation alerts
- Annual review support
- First 30 days of Shield free
Preview before you purchase
Read the sample manual, the training guide, and run the free gap assessment first. Because the Kit is delivered instantly as digital documents, all sales are final — so we want you confident in exactly what you're getting. If you hit a delivery problem, contact us within 7 days and we'll make it right.
Questions dental office owners ask
How often do we have to spore-test?
CDC guidance — which TSBDE enforces through 22 TAC §108.24 — is at least weekly biological monitoring, with results retained. The Kit includes the monitoring log.
Do our assistants need a separate x-ray certificate?
Any dental assistant who positions or exposes x-rays must hold a TSBDE radiology certificate. The staff credential log in the Kit tracks it alongside licenses and CE.
Does CBCT need to be registered?
Yes — panoramic and cone-beam units are registered with DSHS like any other x-ray machine, with fees current and written procedures available at the unit.
We did a risk analysis years ago. Is that enough?
A Security Risk Analysis is expected to be updated as your systems and practice change, not completed once. The workbook is built so the update is a short exercise rather than a restart.
How long do we keep patient records?
At least 5 years from the date of last treatment under 22 TAC §108.8; for a minor, until age 21 or 5 years, whichever is longer. The retention schedule covers both.
Is this legal advice?
No. Compliance Ghost provides compliance documentation tools and educational resources only. Our products are not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. For your specific situation, consult TSBDE, DSHS, or a qualified Texas attorney.
See where your dental office stands
The gap assessment is free and takes about two minutes. You'll get a scored breakdown before you spend anything.