January 2026 Dental Board Recap — Part I

Each month, our team at Lightning Dental Charts reviews rulings and case discussions from the Arizona Dental Board to identify emerging themes in clinical judgment, documentation, and risk management. January brought a higher-than-usual number of instructive cases, enough that we will split this month’s analysis into two separate posts. Below are three key takeaways from the January 2026 meeting, along with commentary on why these issues matter for practicing dentists and how proper documentation can prevent board exposure. 1. Local Anesthetic Dosing in Long Surgeries: New Expectations for Charting Timing In prolonged surgical appointments, it is common to document local anesthetic dosing by...