(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, including, but not limited to, Section 1646.1, a physician and surgeon licensed pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 2000) may administer general anesthesia in the office of a licensed dentist for dental patients, without regard to whether the dentist possesses a permit issued pursuant to this article, if both of the following conditions are met:

(1) The physician and surgeon possesses a current license in good standing to practice medicine in this state.

(2) The physician and surgeon holds a valid general anesthesia permit issued by the Dental Board of California pursuant to subdivision (b).

(b) (1) A physician and surgeon who desires to administer general anesthesia as set forth in subdivision (a) shall apply to the Dental Board of California on an application form prescribed by the board and shall submit all of the following:

(A) The payment of an application fee prescribed by this article.

(B) Evidence satisfactory to the Medical Board of California showing that the applicant has successfully completed a postgraduate residency training program in anesthesiology that is recognized by the American Council on Graduate Medical Education, as set forth in Section 2079.

(C) Documentation demonstrating that all equipment and drugs required by the Dental Board of California are possessed by the applicant and shall be available for use in any dental office in which he or she administers general anesthesia.

(D) Information relative to the current membership of the applicant on hospital medical staffs.

(2) Prior to issuance or renewal of a permit pursuant to this section, the Dental Board of California may, at its discretion, require an onsite inspection and evaluation of the facility, equipment, personnel, including, but not limited to, the physician and surgeon, and procedures utilized. At least one of the persons evaluating the procedures utilized by the physician and surgeon shall be a licensed physician and surgeon expert in outpatient general anesthesia who has been authorized or retained under contract by the Dental Board of California for this purpose.

(3) The permit of a physician and surgeon who has failed an onsite inspection and evaluation shall be automatically suspended 30 days after the date on which the board notifies the physician and surgeon of the failure unless within that time period the physician and surgeon has retaken and passed an onsite inspection and evaluation. Every physician and surgeon issued a permit under this article shall have an onsite inspection and evaluation at least once every six years. Refusal to submit to an inspection shall result in automatic denial or revocation of the permit.

(Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 210, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2008. Repealed as of January 1, 2022, pursuant to Section 1646.10. See same-numbered section in Article 2.75 added by Stats. 2018, Ch. 929.)