California CodesBusiness and Professions Code - BPCDivision 2 — Healing ArtsChapter 4 — DentistryArticle 5 — Offenses Against This ChapterSection 1706

(a) Every complete upper or lower denture fabricated by a licensed dentist, or fabricated pursuant to the dentist’s work order, shall be marked with the patient’s name, unless the patient objects. The initials of the patient may be shown alone, if use of the name of the patient is not practical. The markings shall be done during fabrication and shall be permanent, legible, and cosmetically acceptable. The exact location of the markings and the methods used to implant or apply them shall be determined by the dentist or dental laboratory fabricating the denture.

(b) The dentist shall inform the patient that the markings are to be used for identification only and that the patient shall have the option to decide whether or not the dentures shall be marked.

(c) The dentist shall retain the records of those marked dentures and shall not release the records to any person except to enforcement officers, in the event of an emergency requiring personal identification by means of dental records, or to anyone authorized by the patient.