Dentists, dental assistants, and dental hygienists ensure people benefit from excellent oral health. They help preserve healthy teeth and gums, restore damaged gums and teeth, and prevent dental and oral problems that affect a person’s general well-being. They require high skills and experience to perform their duties effectively and serve their patients satisfactorily. Technological advancements have significantly changed dentistry, necessitating dental workers to enhance their skills to serve their patients better.

However, dental workers face challenges regardless of their professional skills and experience. Sometimes, they are accused of unprofessional behavior, misconduct or overstepping their professional limitations when diagnosing or recommending treatment. Other times, they face criminal charges. All these put their licenses at risk.

But you can fight all these challenges with the assistance of our competent attorneys at San Bernardino License Attorney. We can work with you to safeguard your career and reputation. Remember the time and money you sacrificed to obtain the skills and experience that make you a reputable dentist, dental hygienist, or assistant in San Bernardino. You should not allow a misunderstanding, a genuine mistake, or false accusations to take that away from you.

The Critical Role of Dentists, Dental Assistants, and Dental Hygienists

Dental workers are some of the most sought-after professionals in the healthcare industry. Oral health is as important as general well-being. People slowly appreciate strong, healthy, and beautiful teeth. Hence, there is a need for regular dental checkups and examinations. Different dentist workers play various roles in treating and restoring solid and healthy teeth and gums. They also advocate for preventing issues, diseases, and conditions that affect oral health. Whether or not your service is required as a dentist, assistant, or hygienist will depend on the problem or symptoms a patient is experiencing.

A dentist is a general practitioner who handles all matters of oral health. They examine and diagnose natural gums, teeth, and jawbones and recommend treatment and intervention to restore what is lost and prevent similar or additional issues in the future. A dentist aims to maintain a patient’s good oral health and smile. Dentists require special training to perform their duties. As technology advances, they must undergo additional training to use newer and more suitable technologies to better care for their patients.

Typically, dentists work very closely with their patients. If a patient is experiencing a dental or oral problem, they could visit your office several times for examination, treatment, and review. Sometimes, they are happy with their treatment, and others are dissatisfied. Sometimes, dentists make genuine mistakes when diagnosing or treating dental or oral problems. They often fail to perform their duty on time or overstep their mandate. All these issues could result in complaints to the Dental Board.

Dental assistants also work directly with patients. Although you are not in charge of diagnosing and recommending treatment, you work intimately with the in-charge dentist to ensure that your patients receive adequate, timely, and quality dental care. Sometimes, you assist the dentist in examining, treating, or preventing dental or oral problems. Other times, you are allowed to take charge, especially when administering minor treatments or advising clients on better ways to improve or maintain excellent oral health. Your dedication can easily be misunderstood, mainly if the patient is dissatisfied with your dental care. You could also make an honest mistake that affects your patient or their family.

An aggrieved patient or family member will file a complaint or allegation with the board or police, subjecting you to an investigation that could result in suspension or revocation of your license. A dissatisfied employer can also do the same, risking your career and reputation. Sometimes, a colleague's disagreement can cause a complaint of unprofessional conduct to the board.

Dental hygienists face the same challenges as dental assistants and dentists. Even though their role is less involved than that of dentists and dental assistants, their direct involvement with patients can cause a complaint to the Dental Board.

The dental board issues professional licenses to qualified dental workers. It ensures only skilled workers, in terms of training, experience, and professionalism, are licensed to serve in California. Additionally, the board ensures licensed dental workers perform their duties as legally mandated. A complaint of unprofessional behavior can open an investigation and result in severe consequences, including losing your career. While you could carefully serve your patients to avoid these complaints, sometimes they catch you unawares. However, a license lawyer can fight the allegations to prevent the consequences.

Disciplinary Guidelines Used by California Dental Board Against Unprofessional Dental Workers

The Dental Board’s mandate is always for the public, ensuring dental patients receive quality, professional, safe, and affordable dental care. When a professional misconduct allegation comes to attention, the board sides with the complainant. You must gather evidence and establish a solid defense against those allegations so the board can reconsider its decision to take disciplinary action against you.

Fortunately, the board starts by investigating the allegation to gather sufficient evidence and understand the genesis of the complaint. The outcome of that investigation determines the kind of disciplinary action it will take. Once the investigation starts, the board could order you to take a break by temporarily suspending your license. This could cost you a job and a career you have worked hard to build. It can also cost your reputation. Thus, you could face severe consequences even if the accusations against you are misguided or false. However, an aggressive license attorney can protect your license, career, and reputation and help you fight for a fair outcome.

The Dental Board has many disciplinary measures against unprofessional dental workers. The type of discipline you receive depends on the severity of the allegations against you. The common ones include the following:

Citations and/or Fines

The board can give you a citation and fine you for the professional misconduct resulting in the complaint. While the citations will not affect your career or license in any way, it will affect your reputation. Consequently, it could affect your job and your relationship with patients. This is because the board issues a public citation accessible to everyone. If your employer is not happy with the citation or the misconduct that resulted in the citation, they can terminate your contract. You could also face difficulties finding a new job, mainly because your reputation would be affected.

But your attorney can help you fight the citation and fine to safeguard your livelihood. They could use compelling evidence and statements to convince the board to dismiss the citation.

Public Letters of Reprimand

The board issues these letters almost the same way it issues citations. A reprimand cautions you against repeating the same mistake or misconduct that resulted in a complaint to the board. It is also a public issue, affecting your reputation.

Skilled license attorneys can fight letters of reprimand before the board issues them. After finding out about the board’s conclusion of the investigation against you, your attorney can petition the administrative judges to reconsider issuing a reprimand against you, as it could affect your livelihood. They can also attach evidence or a compelling statement to strengthen the petition.

Temporary Suspension of Professional Licenses

The board can also take more drastic action against your license, especially in severe cases of unprofessional conduct. If your service is unsafe, or you are likely to repeat the mistake or misconduct, the board could suspend your professional license pending the outcome of its investigation. A suspension means you can only work in dentistry once the board reinstates your license. If your career is all you have, that could affect your livelihood. You could also lose your license permanently if the board decides to revoke it after concluding your case.

But you can fight the suspension to continue working during the investigation. A skilled attorney will prepare a compelling defense to ensure the board reconsiders its decision.

Stay of License Revocation With Probation

Instead of revoking your permit, the administrative judges can send you to probation for a predetermined period. Although you can work in dentistry while on probation, you must adhere to strict terms and conditions. These conditions could make it difficult for you to serve effectively and freely. The probation period could also be long or short, depending on the underlying allegations. Violating any probation condition could result in severe consequences, including permanently revoking your license.

You will need the help of your attorney to fight the probation or negotiate for a more favorable probation. For example, they can convince the administrative judges to reduce your probation or probation conditions. Then, you will be free to continue offering dental care in no time.

License Revocation and Suspension

Serious allegations of unprofessional behavior can cause the Dental Board to suspend your permit for some time or revoke it permanently. For example, if your actions resulted in the death, severe injury, or permanent disability of a patient, the board could be prompted to take more severe action against you. A suspended license means that you will not be able to work for a while. You could lose your job and patients. You could also face challenges finding a new job or patients after reinstating your license.

On the other hand, a revocation means you cannot work in dentistry again. It means a total loss of a career you worked hard to establish, and it also means you need to consider another career.

But an experienced attorney can help you fight even the severest discipline. They can present mitigating factors or fresh evidence to compel the judges to reconsider their decision.

Types of Allegations a Dental Worker Can Face

Due to the nature of their work and their working environment, dental workers are subject to all kinds of allegations. The board does not hesitate to initiate an investigation immediately after it receives a complaint against a particular dental worker. The complaint could come from anyone, including a dental patient, a patient’s family, an employer, a colleague, or a public member. Here are common accusations or allegations that dentists, dental assistants, and dental hygienists face in California:

  • Refusing to treat or care for a needy patient.
  • Failure to pay a fine for a board-issued citation.
  • Fraudulently obtaining a professional license.
  • Accepting or asking for kickbacks to prescribe medication, recommend treatment, or refer patients.
  • Failure to provide patient information upon request.
  • Using misleading or false advertisements to lure patients.
  • Overprescribing medication.
  • Sexual misconduct or abuse of a patient or colleague.
  • Failing to refund an overpayment to a patient or insurance provider.
  • Committing any kind of insurance fraud.
  • Failure to properly keep or maintain patient or financial records.
  • Being diagnosed with an emotional, physical, or mental condition that makes it challenging to effectively or safely offer dental care.
  • Sedating patients or administering anesthesia without a proper license.
  • Offering dental care or performing dental procedures, you are not licensed to provide or perform.
  • Failing to provide adequate supervision to the people working under you.
  • Being incompetent or grossly negligent when serving patients.
  • Being arrested or convicted of a grave offense that affects your ability to safely or effectively serve your patients.
  • Continuing to operate your business or serve patients after your license expires or is suspended.
  • Dealing with controlled substances.
  • Abusing drugs or alcohol, especially while on the job.

These are only a few types of allegations the Dental Board deals with. Once an allegation is received, the board confirms its severity and considers the following action. It dismisses minor allegations with or without a warning. However, the board must lodge an investigation into severe allegations for public safety.

Find a Reliable Professional License Attorney Near Me

An allegation or complaint of professional mistakes or misconduct can damage your reputation, affect your license, and hurt a career you have worked hard to build. You could lose your livelihood, prompting you to find new ways to earn a living. However, you can avoid these severe consequences by engaging a skilled license attorney if you are under the investigation of the Dental Board in San Bernardino.

At San Bernardino License Attorney, we handle all allegations of unprofessional conduct. Thus, we know the right defense strategies to obtain a suitable outcome in different situations. We take time to investigate your case and understand your best interests to ensure you receive the best possible outcome. Call us at 909-966-4095 to begin the administrative process with us.