Jones v. Louisiana State Board of Dentistry

481 So. 2d 140, 1985 La. App. LEXIS 9467
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 5, 1985
DocketNo. CA-2968
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 481 So. 2d 140 (Jones v. Louisiana State Board of Dentistry) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jones v. Louisiana State Board of Dentistry, 481 So. 2d 140, 1985 La. App. LEXIS 9467 (La. Ct. App. 1985).

Opinion

KLEES, Judge.

This appeal follows from a decision of the district court affirming an order of the Louisiana State Board of Dentistry. In its order, the Board fined plaintiff a total of $1000.00 plus $250.00 in costs for several alleged violations of the Board’s regulations concerning advertising by dentists. Plaintiff sought review in the district court claiming that the advertising restrictions are unconstitutional. The court rejected this claim, which plaintiff now re-urges on appeal. We agree with the district court.

Plaintiff was charged with four specific violations of LSA-R.S. 37:775, which defines unprofessional conduct by a dentist. At the Board hearing, plaintiff admitted that his advertisements violated the statute, but claimed that the regulations were unconstitutional. Under the Administrative Procedures Act, we have the power to reverse the Board’s decision if it is “in violation of constitutional or statutory provisions.” LSA-R.S. 49:964(G)(1).

We find no merit in plaintiff’s assertion that the advertising regulations involved in this case pose an impermissible restraint on his First Amendment right of free speech. In Charge I, plaintiff was accused of violating R.S. 37:775(6), a prohibition against any advertisement in which the dentist mentions that he uses a particular anesthetic or drug in his treatment of patients. In this case, plaintiff’s newspaper ads indicated that “nitrous sedation” was used in his office. In Charge II, the Board objected to plaintiff’s use of the phrase “The Best in Care,” reasoning that it constituted a claim of “professional superiority over neighboring practitioners,” which is prohibited by R.S. 37:775(4). Thirdly, the Board charged that plaintiff violated R.S. 37:775(7), which prohibits the advertising of “any free dental services as an inducement to secure dental patronage”, by advertising a 10% discount or rebate on all dental services to those possessing a coupon. Finally, plaintiff was accused of violating R.S. 37:775(5), prohibiting “the publishing of reports of cases or testimonials of patients in any public advertising media.” With reference to this charge, plaintiff admitted to having used “before” and “after” photographs of patients as well as reports of specific cases in his advertisements.

After reviewing the law involving professional advertising and the First Amendment, we find that the restrictions complained of by plaintiff are constitutionally permissible. In Bates v. State Bar of Arizona, 433 U.S. 350, 97 S.Ct. 2691, 53 Ed.2d 810 (1977), the landmark case on this issue, the U.S. Supreme Court held that lawyers may constitutionally advertise the prices at which certain routine services áre performed. Despite plaintiff's contention, however, the Bates decision does not mandate reversal of the Board’s decision in this case. The Bates Court repeatedly emphasized the narrowness of its holding, stating “Because of the possibility ... that the differences among professions might bring different constitutional considerations into play, we specifically reserve judgment as to other professions.” 97 S.Ct. at 2700 (foot[142]*142note omitted). In addition, the Court noted:

In holding that advertising by attorneys may not be subjected to blanket suppression, and that the advertisement at issue is protected, we, of course, do not hold that advertising by attorneys may not be regulated in any way.
Advertising that is false, deceptive or misleading of course is subject to restraint. ... [Advertising claims as to the quality of services — a matter we do not address today — are not susceptible of measurement or verification; accordingly, such claims may be so likely to be misleading as to warrant restriction.

97 S.Ct. at 2708.

Relying on Bates, plaintiff argues that only advertising which is false, deceptive or misleading may be regulated. He further argues that because the Board failed to prove that his advertisements were either false, deceptive or misleading, it cannot constitutionally prohibit them. We disagree with plaintiffs interpretation of the law. Recently, in In Re: R.M.J. 455 U.S. 191, 102 S.Ct. 929, 71 L.Ed. 64 (1982), the Supreme Court again considered the issue of State restrictions upon attorney advertising. Explaining Bates, the Court made it clear that its opinion in that case “did not by any means foreclose restrictions on potentially or demonstrably misleading advertising.” 102 S.Ct. at 937 (Emphasis added). Although the Court held that an attorney could constitutionally include in his advertisements certain types of formerly prohibited information, such as his areas of specialty, the Court concluded:

We emphasize, as we have throughout the opinion, that the States retain the authority to regulate advertising that is inherently misleading or that has proved to be misleading in practice. There may be other substantial state interests as well that will support carefully drawn restrictions.

102 S.Ct. at 939.

Thus, plaintiff’s contention that Bates and R.M.J. require that there be a specific determination that the particular advertisement under scrutiny is false or misleading before that advertisement can be restricted is clearly wrong. Rather, the Court has emphasized in both cases that types of advertising which are inherently misleading or likely to deceive can be restricted.

We conclude that appellant’s advertisements, that is, the claims of discount services and professional superiority and the individual case reports, were either inherently misleading or likely to deceive. Appellant’s claims of discount services did not state the non-discount price for the services, thus leaving the consumer with no way of determining if the discount was in fact a true discount.

Similarly, the phrase “the best of care” implies that appellant’s services were better than those of his fellow dentists. Considering the highly subjective nature of such a conclusion, the phrase must be considered to be inherently misleading.

It is also clear that individual case reports are misleading as they do not state all of the circumstances surrounding each individual case. The consumer, therefore, cannot make an accurate comparison between his own situation and that of the advertised cases. Therefore, the State may constitutionally prohibit these. Furthermore, we believe that the State may also prevent dentists from advertising particular anesthetics or drugs used by them. According to the Court in R.M.J., supra:

Even when a communication is not misleading, the State retains some authority to regulate. But the State must assert a substantial interest and the interference with speech must be in proportion to the interest served.

102 S.Ct. at 937 (Citations omitted). In this case, the State’s desire to regulate the distribution and usage of narcotics and sedatives is a compelling interest that justifies preventing dentists from advertising the use of such substances as an inducement to secure patronage.

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Related

Jones v. Louisiana State Board of Dentistry
483 So. 2d 140 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1986)

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481 So. 2d 140, 1985 La. App. LEXIS 9467, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jones-v-louisiana-state-board-of-dentistry-lactapp-1985.