Explicit administrative rule

The Michigan Administrative Code R 338.11120 (Dental treatment records) requires that a dentist's treatment record include the patient's medical and dental history and that the dentist — or dental therapist — identify themselves in the record for each procedure. This is read by the board as requiring the dentist to sign or initial the health-history portion of the record.

Source: Michigan Administrative Code R 338.11120.

CDA professional standard

The California Dental Association advises that after the dental provider reviews the health-history form with the patient, the form should also be signed and dated by the provider. This is a professional guideline rather than a codified statute, but California liability carriers and the Dental Practice Act generally treat the dentist's signature as a required element of the patient record.

Source: California Dental Association practice guidance.

Board guidance + carrier contracts

Sources from the CDC, state dental boards, and malpractice carriers note that failing to obtain and have the dentist sign a health-history form can be treated as negligence. Texas, Florida, New York, and many other states express the same expectation through board guidelines and carrier contracts rather than as explicit statutes — but the practical standard is the same.