Call today! 540-500-1569
DENTISTS
Let LicenseSure Defense Law Help Protect Your Virginia Dental License
Dental License Complaints
If you’ve recently received a complaint accusing you of misconduct as a dentist, your Virginia dental license could be at risk.
At LicenseSure Defense Law, we defend Virginia dentists from accusations filed with the Virginia Board of Dentistry, appeal dental license denials, and provide representation in active dental board investigations.
Virginia Board of Dentistry 101
Virginia dentists are licensed by the 10 member Virginia Board of Dentistry, a branch of the Department of Health Professions. 7 licensed dentists, 2 dental hygienists, and a member of the general public make up the Dental Board.
As regulatory authorities, The Virginia Board of Dentistry licenses, monitors, and disciplining dentists and other dental professionals.
The Dental Board investigates criminal and administrative violations, which, if proven true, could result in criminal and/or administrative prosecution.
When a dentist or dental professional is accused of misconduct, the Dental Board may decide if it should investigate a licensee. And if the Board decides to investigate you as a dentist, dental hygienist, or other dental professional, after getting a letter, you’ll next get contacted by a Dental Board Investigator for an interview.
If your contacted for an interview, you should not speak with the investigator without an attorney.
If your dental license is at risk because you’re being investigated, the license defense attorneys at LicenseSure Defense Law are ready to speak with investigators and handle this serious situation endangering your ability to make a living with the Virginia Dental Board. We prepare carefully and thoroughly to make the strongest case for you before the Board.
As an experienced license defense attorney, if necessary, we can challenge subpoenas for patient charts, safeguard your medical and financial information, have the allegations in the complaint against you reviewed by a dental expert, and represent you at in investigation interview or at hearings before the Dental Board.
What Do Dentists & Dental Professionals Get In Trouble For?
There are many ways you can be disciplined by the Virginia Board of Dentistry. Some common causes of dentist and dental professional disciplinary reasons include:
• Mishandling or altering patient records
• Use of alcohol or drugs making it unsafe to practice dentistry or dental hygiene safely
• Mental or physical incompetence preventing the safe practice of dentistry or dental hygiene
• Criminal convictions, especially those involving a crime of “moral turpitude” (in other words, dishonesty)
• Filing incorrect or false insurance claims
• False, misleading and deceptive advertising intended to deceive the public or dental patients
• Intentional, unsafe, or negligent conduct practicing dentistry that injures or could have injured a patient or the general public
• Employing or helping someone practice dentistry without a license
• Performing dental procedures without required certifications
What Kind of Punishment Could a Dentist Face After a Complaint?
As a dentist, you may have to deal with discipline by the Virginia Board of Dentistry.
If you’re found to have violated Dental Board regulations and or Virginia law, you could have your license revoked, face a license suspension or probation, or get a license citation or reprimand.
The Dental Board can hand out discipline to dentists and other dental professionals found to have violated license standards as follows:
• Fine: The Dental Board can fine dental professionals no more than $2,000 for each violation.
• Continuing Education (CE): A dental license holder can be required by the Dental Board to successfully complete additional training or remediation dental courses in connection with a rules violation.
• Public Reprimand: A public reprimand visible to everyone can be made. This has negative consequences because it will be on your license permanently.
• License Probation: As a condition of being allowed to keep your dental license, you may be required to not have any license infractions for a definite period of time. If you violate the probation, you could face more trouble with the Board.
• Restrictions: Your dental license can be restricted, and this can affect your ability to perform certain procedures on patients or limit prescribing privileges.
• Dental License Suspension. Your dentist's license could be suspended by the Virginia Board of Dentistry for a certain time period or until you meet specific requirements set by the Board.
• Revocation. A dentist with a bad record that the Dental Board finds very serious and or that the dentist poses a danger to the public may decide to revoke a dentist’s license, barring them from being able to legally practice dentistry in Virginia.
Consequences of Sanctions to Your Dental Career
You’ve spent years of dental school and training. Your family depends on you. It’s normal to be concerned about your professional reputation.
You definitely don’t want sanctions we talked about above put on your dental license and negatively affect your job performance and personal life.
Added to the shock of the Dental Board complaint, you’re stressed and anxious about whether you’ll be able to keep your job or run your dental practice.
The aftermath from professional discipline can affect you if patients look your license up and find you’ve been sanctioned. A patient finding out you’ve been disciplined may not want you to treat them.
You could also face embarrassment from your colleagues, not just locally, but across the country or even internationally.
Count On Our Dental License Defense Lawyers to Represent You and All You’ve Worked For
We help dentists, dental hygienists, and other dental professionals throughout Virginia.
If you’re a dentist who has been arrested, charged with, or convicted of a crime, it’s critical that you call LicenseSure Defense law now. We are unafraid to fight for you in front of the Dental Board. We have over 25 years of experience effectively representing people like you in trials and hearings.
Your life is on the line. You have you and your family’s future to protect. Contact trial attorney Tori Bramble at LicenseSure Defense Law today at 703-740-1129 or click here to schedule a strategy session and find out how we can put our professional license defense experience to work for you.