SB2586 Summary

• Amends the Illinois Dental Practice Act to add "informed consent" as a requirement that must be legally valid, recorded in writing or digitally, and document patient agreement to intervention, risks, benefits, and alternatives including the right to decline treatment.

• Creates new Section 17.2 establishing teledentistry regulations requiring dentists to only practice teledentistry on established patients of record and obtain informed consent prior to providing services.

• Specifies teledentistry must meet the same standard of care as in-person dental services and allows dentists to provide emergency care or initial consultations for acute pain, infection, or injury with a requirement to direct patients to appropriate in-person follow-up care.

• Requires dentists providing teledentistry to disclose their name, direct telephone number, and physical practice address; prohibits requiring patients to sign agreements that limit their ability to write reviews or file complaints.

• Modifies the definition of "patient of record" to include those who established relationships through protected health information exchange for emergency care and adds teledentistry violations to the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.