I Can Lose My Dental License Because of a DUI?
Yes, that’s right. Even though it sounds unduly harsh (and utterly ridiculous), the Dental Board of California may suspend your California dental license based on a misdemeanor conviction.
The Board takes disciplinary action against any dentist who suffers a conviction (a felony or misdemeanor) that is “substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of being a dentist”. Okay, that makes sense. But how is a DUI substantially related to those duties?
It’s really not. The Board has determined that a dentist who suffers two or more misdemeanor convictions involving the consumption of alcoholic beverages has engaged in “unprofessional conduct”...and that’s how they justify it.
I definitely think one can make the argument that just because one has too much to drink at a social gathering (or in this case, two) and then drives home doesn’t mean that his/her professional judgment should necessarily be called into question.
One’s personal and professional life is many times separate and distinct. One’s professional reputation should be built on just that…his/her professional decisions and actions.
If you’ve been arrested for a DUI and are in jeopardy of losing your California dental license, it is critical that you immediately contact a criminal defense attorney who specializes in California DUI defense.
