Dentists spend many years and hundreds of thousands of dollars to learn the skill of dentistry. When taking into account the bureaucratic labor and fees, office and equipment financing, and staffing costs associated with setting up a practice, dental professionals have often invested enormous amounts of time and money by the time they are actually practicing on patients.

Unfortunately, this investment does not protect dentists from accusations of misconduct. Even when such accusations are entirely unfounded, dentists may face an uphill battle defending themselves from allegations of fraud, abuse, or other inappropriate behaviors. If you know or are worried that you may be facing an investigation for allegations against you, your hard work deserves to be protected by an excellent professional license defense attorney.

What Kind of Behaviors Can Cause a Dentist to be Investigated?

Every state has a board responsible for overseeing and regulating dentists. In Illinois, the Illinois State Board of Dentistry and the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) work in tandem to ensure dentists are compliant with state laws and that any accusations against a dentist are investigated thoroughly.

The Illinois State Board of Dentistry is the agency that oversees licensed dental professionals. If a complaint has been filed against a dental professional with the board of accusations of unnecessary treatment, substandard care, or inappropriate behavior, it is critical to have an experienced Illinois professional license defense attorney defending you against these allegations or you could risk losing your license to practice. In some cases, the patient may have also filed a dental malpractice claim. 

Why Should I Have an Attorney?

Defending against a complaint can be a complicated process, requiring the knowledge and experience of how the process works. Failure to respond to the board before deadlines and with required information can result in serious consequences for the dental professional being accused. 

The first step the board will take when a patient has filed a complaint is to decide if the complaint has merit. If the board decides it does, it will be given to a dental board investigator to begin an investigation into the allegations. Your attorney will prepare a written statement responding to the complaint, as well as help you prepare for any written questions by the dental board investigator assigned to your case. 

There are many types of professions that are regulated in Illinois, such as cosmetology, psychology, financial services, and even architecture. One regulated profession that does not come as much of a surprise is dentistry. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) oversees the licensing, continuing education, practice, and discipline of dentists and related professions in the state. Becoming a dentist takes years of hard work and study, but getting your dental license requires you to know all of the requirements before you apply for your Illinois dental license.

General Dentistry Licenses

Like many other health-related professions in Illinois and throughout the country, you must have a license to practice dentistry in Illinois. To obtain a license to practice general dentistry, you must:

• Be at least 21 years old
• Be of “good moral character”
• Provide evidence that you graduated from a dentistry school accredited by the American Dental Association
• Present evidence that you passed both parts of the National Board Dental Examination
• Pass an examination conducted by one of the five regional testing services: the Central Regional Dental Testing Service, Inc. (CRDTS); the Southern Regional Testing Agency, Inc. (SRTA); the Western Regional Examining Board (WREB); the North East Regional Board (NERB) or the Council of Interstate Testing Agencies (CITA)

Anesthesia Permits

In many cases, a dentist or dental specialist such as an orthodontist or oral surgeon will want to be able to administer anesthesia in their office. Legally, they cannot do that without first applying for and receiving the proper anesthesia permits. Illinois ranks its dental anesthesia permits at varying levels. A dentist with a general practicing license can use minimal sedation, where consciousness is only slightly affected. However, any further forms of sedation, such as moderate sedation, deep sedation, and general anesthesia require further education, experience, training, and other requirements.

Each year, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) issues, renews and reinstates hundreds of licenses to those in the dental field. To be eligible for a general Illinois dental license, you must complete years of schooling, have years of clinical training, and pass both a national and regional dentistry test. After putting so much effort into getting your license to practice dentistry, the last thing you would want to do is jeopardize your license by committing a simple violation. Depending on the violation, you could face disciplinary or non-disciplinary action and fines of up to $10,000 per offense.

Common Violations That Could Affect Your License

To practice dentistry in Illinois, you are required to have a valid Illinois dental license. The IDFPR is the licensing entity that determines whether or not you can practice dentistry. There are a number of violations that could cause the IDFPR to refuse, revoke or suspend your license to practice dentistry. These violations include:

• Misrepresentation on your application for a license or renewal
• Inability to safely practice because of excessive use of or addiction to alcohol or other drugs
• Employing or aiding or abetting a person who is not licensed to be a dentist or dental hygienist to practice dentistry or dental hygiene
• Making false promises or misrepresentations to potential patients in order to get their patronage
• Performing Medicaid fraud
• Practicing under a false name
• Employing more than four dental hygienists under his or her supervision at a time
• Failing to report a suspected incident of child abuse or neglect
• Prescribing narcotics for uses other than therapeutic uses
• Professional incompetence
• Physical or mental illness that prevents a person from practicing dentistry with reasonable skill, safety, and judgment
• Immoral conduct
• Cheating on the licensing exam
• Failing to maintain patient care and treatment records

Contact an Illinois Dentist License Defense Attorney Today

Being a dentist can be a rewarding career for many, but that can be jeopardized in the blink of an eye. If you commit a serious violation, you could face a revocation or suspension of your dental license or the IDFPR could refuse to renew your license. If you have been accused of violating any of the rules of dentistry, you should contact a skilled Illinois dentist license defense lawyer right away. At the Law Offices of Joseph J. Bogdan, LLC, we can help you take the necessary steps to prepare your defense for any accusation. Call our office today at 630-310-1267 to schedule a consultation.

Every single year, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), receive thousands of medical malpractice complaints. Health professionals throughout the state, have to adhere to the standards set by the IDFPR, and if they are unable to do so, could potentially lose their license. For dentists, medical malpractice complaints are much more common than they would like to admit. If you are facing a complaint or other licensing issue from the Illinois Dental Board (which operates as a branch of the IDFPR), it is time to seek out professional legal assistance.

Mistakes You Could Make

While the vast majority of Americans put complete trust in medical experts, all professionals are humans, and mistakes can occur in any occupation. For dentists, a medical error can come with costly ramifications. Below are some of the most common forms of medical malpractice in the field of dentistry.

• Misdiagnosis: When most people think of medical malpractice, they think of surgical error or overt misconduct. In all reality, the most common form of malpractice in the medical world is incorrect, missed, or delayed diagnosis. Misdiagnosis accounts for approximately 15% of all medical malpractice cases. For patients relying on dental assistance, misdiagnosis can be life-threatening. For instance, if a dentist misdiagnoses a cancerous mouth tumor, as a harmless one, the patient could die due to the medical error.
• Incorrect Drug Dosage: Dentists have the responsibility to administer drugs to patients, as needed. If a patient is set for an oral operation, dentists often times provide their patients with anesthetic, analgesia, or another prescribed drug. Giving a patient too much of any of these drugs can result in severe injury and even death. It is also important to note that prescribing patients the wrong medication could cause patients severe medical complications or even fatal reactions.
• Improper Equipment Maintenance: Dentists around the country require assistance from high-tech equipment, to ensure that their patients receive the highest quality of care possible. If a dentist uses equipment that is either malfunctioning or improperly sanitized, they could put their patients in danger. Here in the United States, hundreds of medical malpractice cases involving improper equipment occur every year.

Contact a DuPage County Dentist Defense Lawyer

At the Law Offices of Joseph J. Bogdan, L.L.C., our team firmly believes that no person should lose their livelihood based on one mistake. If you believe that your dental license may be in jeopardy, you need an attorney that you can believe in. Fortunately, with well over a decade of legal experience in the state of Illinois, our team is confident in our ability to represent you in a disciplinary conference with the IDFPR. To schedule a meeting with a qualified Illinois dentist license defense attorney, call us today at 630-310-1267.