As the State’s dental regulatory agency, the Board has the responsibility of protecting the public by ensuring that only licensed dentists are engaged in the practice of dentistry in North Carolina. The State Legislature has determined that the “practice of dentistry” not only includes a person who provides clinical dental care to patients but also extends to any person or entity that “owns, manages, supervises, controls or conducts any enterprise” wherein acts constituting the practice of dentistry are performed. N.C. Gen. § 90-29(b)(11). The Dental Practice Act is found in Chapter 90, Article 2 of the North Carolina General Statutes (PDF). The Dental Board adopted a regulation, the Management Arrangements Rule ( “MAR”) (PDF), to implement the above provision of the Dental Practice Act. 21 NCAC 16X .0101.

Licensed dentists must ensure that they do not enter into any impermissible arrangements with unlicensed individuals or entities for the provision of any combination of management or business support services, including management companies as defined in N.C. Gen. Stat. 90-40.2(a)(4). Otherwise, a licensed dentist may be subject to discipline by the Board for permitting his or her name to be used by an unlicensed individual or entity or for aiding, abetting or assisting the illegal practice of dentistry.

On July 7, 2026, Governor Stein signed Senate Bill 257 into law, which eliminated mandatory review of management arrangements. As a result, the Board no longer conducts mandatory review of management agreements, and the parties are not required to submit the documents to the Board for review.

As guidance for parties, the Dental Board has reviewed and deemed an example management services agreement (PDF) compliant with the Dental Practice Act and the MAR. This document merely provides an example of a management arrangement that the Dental Board has concluded complies with its governing laws. Other management arrangements, including variations of provisions contained in the example agreement, also may comply with the pertinent dental laws. The Dental Board cannot provide copies of other management arrangements previously submitted to it for review by parties because those documents, as well as any related investigative information, are privileged and confidential.