Dental professionals have a duty of care to their patients and must be responsible for their actions. They need to administer treatment with the intent of helping improve health and not detract from it. Like any medical profession, there are times when the outcome of a medical procedure is not ideal but a medical provider is not liable because they were not negligent.
Medical malpractice is not always the case simply because a patient is unhappy in the aftermath of a procedure. However, when negligence is involved in a patient’s situation and has caused their harm, or if it can be shown that a medical professional violated their standard of care, then a patient may be able to take legal action against them.
One of the things a patient may decide to do is file a complaint. Dentists are not immune to angry and unhappy patients filing a complaint with the Dental Board. Some of these complaints will warrant an investigation, but others may not. For those that do, the outcome is critical to a dentist’s career and potentially to their personal relationships and quality of life.
If you have been subjected to an investigation by the California Dental Board, it is best to have effective and experienced legal counsel on your side to protect your interests. The Los Angeles dental board defense lawyers at Leiva Law Firm can help you and fight to ensure you are not treated unfairly by the system.
How Can Dental Disciplinary Action Affect a Dentist?
Simply because an investigation moves forward against a dentist, this does not mean that a dentist is guilty of violating their role or the professional standards they are held to. There are many instances where dental professionals face investigations for wrongful accusations against them due to a disgruntled patient.
If discipline is handed down to a dental professional it can be in any of the following, or a combination of the following forms:
- Expensive fines
- Admonishment in the public eye
- Suspension of professional license
- Revocation of a professional license
- A probationary period
None of these outcomes are ideal and can cause a dental professional to endure a great toll both professionally and personally. First, the practice will have a stigma and bad image associated with it if the practicing dentist has a license with disciplinary actions. This could impact the success and profitability of a dental practice. Additionally, a dentist with such actions on their license may find it quite difficult to search out new professional opportunities throughout their career. The outlook can be quite bleak with a tarnished dental license.
Speak with a Los Angeles Dental Board Defense Attorney Today
The punishments that can transpire after an investigation may vary, but any single one can be extremely detrimental to a dental professional’s future. It is important to have seasoned legal guidance when facing such a situation. You can call the Los Angeles dental defense lawyers at the Leiva Law Firm at (818) 519-4465 to schedule a free consultation and learn more about your options.
