§34-9-17. Use of names.

(a) Any person or persons may practice or offer to practice dentistry in connection with any dental office or offices by or under the use of a name other than their own provided their name or names as they appear on their license certificate granted to him or them as a dentist pursuant to this chapter appear in a reasonably dignified manner either following or beneath any name selected and further provided that such person or persons are personally present in their office or offices operating as a dentist or personally overseeing such operations as they are performed in their office or each of their offices. When an associate in practice is on temporary active duty with the armed forces, his or her name may continue to appear in connection with the practice of dentistry at any office or offices. Nothing herein shall allow or permit any person or persons to select a name that suggests or implies a nonprofit or charitable activity. The violation of any of the provisions of this subsection by any dentist may subject such dentist to any of the penalties outlined in Section 34-9-18.

(b) It shall be unlawful for a licensee to permit his or her name to appear in any manner on, within, or in connection with any office which he or she has sold to another licensee and from which he or she has severed active practice, provided the name of the dentist who sells his or her office to a licensed dentist, or in the event of the death of a licensee, the name of the deceased dentist, may remain in the office for a period not to exceed 12 months and it shall also be unlawful for the buyer to permit the former owner's name or the deceased's license to appear in any manner on, within, or in connection with the office, except as herein provided. The violation of any of the provisions of this subsection by any dentist may subject such dentist to the penalties outlined in subsection (b) of Section 34-9-18.

(c) Nothing in this section shall be so construed as to prevent two or more licensed dentists from associating together for the practice of dentistry.

(Acts 1959, No. 100, p. 569, §21; Acts 1985, No. 85-697, p. 1120, §1; Act 2009-18, p. 43, §5.)