1. 1. Any person or other entity who believes that a registered and licensed dentist or a registered and licensed dental hygienist has so acted or failed to act that his certificate of registration or license or both should, under the provisions of this chapter, be suspended or revoked, or who believes that any applicant for a certificate of registration or license to practice dentistry or to practice as a dental hygienist is not entitled thereto under the provisions of this chapter, may file a complaint with the secretary-treasurer of the board.
2. 2. If the complaint so filed does not contain statements of fact which if true would authorize, under the provisions of this chapter, suspension or revocation of the accused's certificate or license, or does not contain statements of fact which if true would authorize, under the provisions of this chapter, the refusal to issue a certificate or license to an applicant, the board shall either forthwith dismiss the charge or the charges or, within its discretion, cause an investigation to be made of the charges contained in the complaint; after which investigation the board shall either dismiss the charge or charges or proceed against the accused by written complaint as hereinafter provided.
3. 3. If the complaint so filed contains statements of fact which if true would authorize, under the provisions of this chapter, the revocation or suspension of an accused's certificate or license, or both, the board shall cause an investigation to be made of the charge or charges contained in the complaint and unless the investigation discloses the falsity of the facts upon which the charge or charges in the complaint are based, the board shall file with and in the administrative hearing commission a written complaint against the accused setting forth the cause or causes for which his certificate of registration or license or both should be suspended or revoked. Thereafter the board shall be governed by and shall proceed in accordance with the provisions of chapter 621, RSMo.
4. 4. If the charges contained in the complaint filed with the board (after the investigation as aforesaid), if true, would constitute a cause or causes for which, under the provisions of this chapter, an accused's license should not be issued or renewed or a cause or causes for which under the provisions of this chapter a certificate of registration should not be issued, the board shall cause an investigation to be made of the charge or charges and unless the investigation discloses the falsity of the facts upon which the charge or charges contained in the complaint are based, the board shall refuse to permit an applicant to be examined upon his qualifications for licensure or shall refuse to issue a certificate or license or to renew a license, as the case may require.
5. 5. The provisions of this section shall not be so construed as to prevent the board on its own initiative from instituting and conducting investigations and based thereon to make written complaints in and to the hearing commission.
6. 6. If for any reason the provisions of chapter 621, RSMo, become inapplicable to the board, then, and in that event, the board shall proceed to charge, adjudicate and otherwise act in accordance with the provisions of chapter 536, RSMo.

(L. 1969 S.B. 97, A.L. 1981 S.B. 16)