By Dr. John Callahan, NESO Trustee
As you may be aware, some current topics in orthodontics revolve around unsupervised orthodontic treatment and potentially misleading advertising. It is state dental boards who have the authority to regulate dentistry, and, in most states, advertising related to the provision of dental services. With that in mind and should you feel so compelled, it is YOUR RIGHT as a citizen of your state and as a dental professional licensed there, to individually bring any dental concerns you have to the board’s attention and discuss public health and safety matters with them. If you believe you have seen or heard false or misleading advertising, if you observe treatment that is beneath the standard of care, or otherwise believe a dental service being provided in your state is illegal or harmful, you can contact your state dental board about it. A full list of state dental boards can be found on the AAO’s member website: https://www.aaoinfo.org/aao/state-dental-board-info.
Likewise, if you have patients who believe they have been injured or otherwise harmed by dental or orthodontic services or advertising, you can inform the patient about the process by which a patient can file a complaint (https://www.aaoinfo.org/aao/state-dental-board-info) with the patient’s state dental board, should they wish to do so.
The AAO is taking its own actions and remains committed to making sure that orthodontic service providers are in compliance with the applicable dental laws and protecting the public’s health and safety. To read more about this, please refer to the national and regional articles included below:
http://www.wrdw.com/content/news/Mail-order-braces–Is-your-smile-worth-the-cost-452548583.html
In closing, I wish everyone a most wondrous holiday season as well as good health and happiness to you and your families in the coming year.
Dr. John Callahan
