{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/54.1-2716.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/54.1-2716.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/54.1-2716.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/54.1-2716.html"}],"law_id":55702,"edition_id":1,"section_id":55702,"structure_id":13008,"section_number":"54.1-2716","catch_line":"Practicing in a commercial or mercantile establishment","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 54-147.1; 1988, c. 765.","full_text":"It shall be unlawful for any dentist to practice his profession in a commercial or mercantile establishment, or to advertise, either in person or through any commercial or mercantile establishment, that he is a licensed practitioner and is practicing or will practice dentistry in such commercial or mercantile establishment. This section shall not prohibit the rendering of professional services to the officers and employees of any person, firm or corporation by a dentist, whether or not the compensation for such service is paid by the officers and employees, or by the employer, or jointly by all or any of them. Any dentist who violates any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.\n\t\tFor the purposes of this section, the term &#8220;commercial or mercantile establishment&#8221; means a business enterprise engaged in the selling of commodities or services unrelated to the practice of dentistry or the other healing arts.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":204174,"text":"It shall be unlawful for any dentist to practice his profession in a commercial or mercantile establishment, or to advertise, either in person or through any commercial or mercantile establishment, that he is a licensed practitioner and is practicing or will practice dentistry in such commercial or mercantile establishment. This section shall not prohibit the rendering of professional services to the officers and employees of any person, firm or corporation by a dentist, whether or not the compensation for such service is paid by the officers and employees, or by the employer, or jointly by all or any of them. Any dentist who violates any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.\n\t\tFor the purposes of this section, the term &#8220;commercial or mercantile establishment&#8221; means a business enterprise engaged in the selling of commodities or services unrelated to the practice of dentistry or the other healing arts.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13008,"edition_id":1,"name":"Licensure of Dentists","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13007,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:08","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:08","permalink":{"id":241585,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13008,"identifier":"2","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2","url":"\/54.1\/III\/27\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13007,"edition_id":1,"name":"Dentistry","identifier":"27","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12758,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:08","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:08","permalink":{"id":241529,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13007,"identifier":"27","token":"54.1\/III\/27","url":"\/54.1\/III\/27\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12758,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions and Occupations Regulated by Boards Within the Department of Health Professions","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12754,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":241105,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12758,"identifier":"III","token":"54.1\/III","url":"\/54.1\/III\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12754,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions and Occupations","identifier":"54.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":239313,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12754,"identifier":"54.1","token":"54.1","url":"\/54.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":81453,"structure_id":13008,"section_number":"54.1-2708.5","catch_line":"Digital scans for use in the practice of dentistry; practice of digital scan technicians","url":"\/54.1-2708.5\/","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2\/54.1-2708.5","metadata":false},{"id":72802,"structure_id":13008,"section_number":"54.1-2709","catch_line":"License; application; qualifications; examinations","url":"\/54.1-2709\/","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2\/54.1-2709","metadata":false},{"id":54080,"structure_id":13008,"section_number":"54.1-2709.1","catch_line":"Certain certification required","url":"\/54.1-2709.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2\/54.1-2709.1","metadata":false},{"id":65702,"structure_id":13008,"section_number":"54.1-2709.2","catch_line":"Registration and certain data required","url":"\/54.1-2709.2\/","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2\/54.1-2709.2","metadata":false},{"id":56758,"structure_id":13008,"section_number":"54.1-2709.3","catch_line":"Reports of disciplinary action against oral and maxillofacial surgeons; immunity from liability","url":"\/54.1-2709.3\/","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2\/54.1-2709.3","metadata":false},{"id":70235,"structure_id":13008,"section_number":"54.1-2709.4","catch_line":"Further reporting requirements","url":"\/54.1-2709.4\/","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2\/54.1-2709.4","metadata":false},{"id":68746,"structure_id":13008,"section_number":"54.1-2709.5","catch_line":"Permits for sedation and anesthesia required","url":"\/54.1-2709.5\/","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2\/54.1-2709.5","metadata":false},{"id":59111,"structure_id":13008,"section_number":"54.1-2710","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/54.1-2710\/","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2\/54.1-2710","metadata":false},{"id":76674,"structure_id":13008,"section_number":"54.1-2711","catch_line":"Practice of dentistry","url":"\/54.1-2711\/","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2\/54.1-2711","metadata":false},{"id":55042,"structure_id":13008,"section_number":"54.1-2711.1","catch_line":"Temporary licenses to persons enrolled in advanced dental education programs; Board regulations","url":"\/54.1-2711.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2\/54.1-2711.1","metadata":false},{"id":58279,"structure_id":13008,"section_number":"54.1-2711.2","catch_line":"Botulinum toxin injections","url":"\/54.1-2711.2\/","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2\/54.1-2711.2","metadata":false},{"id":56697,"structure_id":13008,"section_number":"54.1-2712","catch_line":"Permissible practices","url":"\/54.1-2712\/","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2\/54.1-2712","metadata":false},{"id":76081,"structure_id":13008,"section_number":"54.1-2712.1","catch_line":"Restricted volunteer license for certain dentists","url":"\/54.1-2712.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2\/54.1-2712.1","metadata":false},{"id":67803,"structure_id":13008,"section_number":"54.1-2713","catch_line":"Licenses to teach dentistry; renewals","url":"\/54.1-2713\/","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2\/54.1-2713","metadata":false},{"id":83705,"structure_id":13008,"section_number":"54.1-2714","catch_line":"Restricted licenses to teach dentistry for foreign dentists","url":"\/54.1-2714\/","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2\/54.1-2714","metadata":false},{"id":71483,"structure_id":13008,"section_number":"54.1-2714.1","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/54.1-2714.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2\/54.1-2714.1","metadata":false},{"id":59118,"structure_id":13008,"section_number":"54.1-2715","catch_line":"Temporary permits for certain clinicians","url":"\/54.1-2715\/","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2\/54.1-2715","metadata":false},{"id":55702,"structure_id":13008,"section_number":"54.1-2716","catch_line":"Practicing in a commercial or mercantile establishment","url":"\/54.1-2716\/","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2\/54.1-2716","metadata":false},{"id":82818,"structure_id":13008,"section_number":"54.1-2717","catch_line":"Practice of dentistry by professional business entities","url":"\/54.1-2717\/","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2\/54.1-2717","metadata":false},{"id":64633,"structure_id":13008,"section_number":"54.1-2718","catch_line":"Practicing under firm or assumed name","url":"\/54.1-2718\/","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2\/54.1-2718","metadata":false},{"id":54511,"structure_id":13008,"section_number":"54.1-2719","catch_line":"Persons engaged in construction and repair of appliances","url":"\/54.1-2719\/","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2\/54.1-2719","metadata":false},{"id":66075,"structure_id":13008,"section_number":"54.1-2720","catch_line":"Display of name of practitioner","url":"\/54.1-2720\/","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2\/54.1-2720","metadata":false},{"id":68611,"structure_id":13008,"section_number":"54.1-2721","catch_line":"Display of license","url":"\/54.1-2721\/","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2\/54.1-2721","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":59118,"structure_id":13008,"section_number":"54.1-2715","catch_line":"Temporary permits for certain clinicians","url":"\/54.1-2715\/","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2\/54.1-2715","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":82818,"structure_id":13008,"section_number":"54.1-2717","catch_line":"Practice of dentistry by professional business entities","url":"\/54.1-2717\/","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2\/54.1-2717","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/54.1-2716\/","history_text":"<p>The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 1988, chapter 765.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":241655,"object_type":"law","relational_id":55702,"identifier":"54.1-2716","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2\/54.1-2716","url":"\/54.1-2716\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/54.1-2716\/","token":"54.1\/III\/27\/2\/54.1-2716","dublin_core":{"Title":"Practicing in a commercial or mercantile establishment","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 54.1-2716","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>It shall be unlawful for any <span class=\"dictionary\">dentist<\/span> to practice his profession in a <span class=\"dictionary\">commercial or mercantile establishment<\/span>, or to advertise, either in person or through any <span class=\"dictionary\">commercial or mercantile establishment<\/span>, that he is a licensed practitioner and is practicing or will practice <span class=\"dictionary\">dentistry<\/span> in such <span class=\"dictionary\">commercial or mercantile establishment<\/span>. This section shall not prohibit the rendering of professional services to the officers and employees of any person, firm or corporation by a <span class=\"dictionary\">dentist<\/span>, whether or not the compensation for such service is paid by the officers and employees, or by the employer, or jointly by all or any of them. Any <span class=\"dictionary\">dentist<\/span> who violates any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 <span class=\"dictionary\">misdemeanor<\/span>.\n\t\tFor the purposes of this section, the term &#8220;<span class=\"dictionary\">commercial or mercantile establishment<\/span>&#8221; means a business enterprise engaged in the selling of commodities or services unrelated to the practice of <span class=\"dictionary\">dentistry<\/span> or the other healing arts.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPRACTICING IN A COMMERCIAL OR MERCANTILE ESTABLISHMENT (\u00a7 54.1-2716)\n\nIt shall be unlawful for any dentist to practice his profession in a commercial\nor mercantile establishment, or to advertise, either in person or through any\ncommercial or mercantile establishment, that he is a licensed practitioner and\nis practicing or will practice dentistry in such commercial or mercantile\nestablishment. This section shall not prohibit the rendering of professional\nservices to the officers and employees of any person, firm or corporation by a\ndentist, whether or not the compensation for such service is paid by the\nofficers and employees, or by the employer, or jointly by all or any of them.\nAny dentist who violates any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty\nof a Class 1 misdemeanor.\n\t\tFor the purposes of this section, the term &#8220;commercial or mercantile\nestablishment&#8221; means a business enterprise engaged in the selling of\ncommodities or services unrelated to the practice of dentistry or the other\nhealing arts.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 54-147.1; 1988, c. 765.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}