Having A Dispute with Your Dentist?

The best dentist/patient relationships are built on trust as a result of open communication. Occasionally, however, a problem develops in the dentist/patient relationship. If this has occurred with your dentist, the Maine Dental Association recommends that you contact the dental office, explain your problem clearly, and attempt to work out a solution. Misunderstandings are often the result of the lack of clear communication between parties.

If, after taking the above steps, you are still not satisfied, the Maine Dental Association offers a “Peer Review” service—an informal mediation service designed to resolve conflict between a dentist and a patient regarding quality of care or appropriateness of care issues. The program does not review cases concerning fee disputes or billing problems.

The MDA Peer Review Council consists of dentists who volunteer their time and expertise to mediate misunderstandings or problems. They are trained to be fair and impartial and to facilitate a compromise agreement that is satisfactory to all parties. Peer Review is not a court of law. It is generally a volunteer process and is available at no charge to the public. Most disputes are resolved through informal mediation (via telephone), although a second level of formal mediation involving a review of patient records and a clinical examination may be available if informal mediation is not successful.

To obtain a Request for Mediation form, contact the Maine Dental Association at 207-622-7900.