§30-4-16. Dental corporations and professional limited liability companies.

(a) Dental corporations and professional limited liability companies are continued.

(b) One or more dentists licensed by the board may organize and become a shareholder or shareholders of a dental corporation, or member or members of a professional limited liability company, domiciled within this state under the terms and conditions and subject to the limitations and restrictions specified by rule.

(c) No corporation or professional limited liability company may practice dentistry, or any of its branches, or hold itself out as being capable of doing so without a certificate of authorization from the board.

(d) When the Secretary of State receives a certificate of authorization to act as a dental corporation or professional limited liability company from the board, he or she shall attach the authorization to the corporation application and, upon compliance with the applicable provisions of Chapter 31 or Chapter 31B of this code, the Secretary of State shall issue to the incorporators a certificate of incorporation for the dental corporation or to the organizers a certificate of organization for the professional limited liability company.

(e) A corporation or professional limited liability company holding a certificate of authorization shall renew annually, on or before June 30, on a form prescribed by the board and pay an annual fee in an amount specified by rule.

(f) A dental corporation or professional limited liability company may practice dentistry only through one or more dentists licensed to practice dentistry in this state, but the dentist or dentists may be employees rather than shareholders or members of the corporation or company.

(g) A dental corporation holding a certificate of authorization shall cease to engage in the practice of dentistry upon being notified by the board that any of its shareholders is no longer a licensed dentist or when any shares of the corporation have been sold or disposed of to a person who is not a licensed dentist: Provided

, That the personal representative of a deceased shareholder has a period, not to exceed twenty-four months from the date of the shareholder’s death, to dispose of the shares; but nothing contained herein may be construed as affecting the existence of the corporation or its right to continue to operate for all lawful purposes other than the practice of dentistry.