Concerns & Complaints – Commonly Asked Questions

The Professional Conduct Department is guided by the Alberta’s Health Professions Act (HPA). As per the HPA, the Complaints Director can take one of the following first steps in the complaint process:

• Encourage the dentist and the complainant to resolve the complaint
• Attempt to resolve the complaint, with the consent of the dentist and the complainant
• Commence an investigation into the complaint
• Request an Expert to assess and provide a written report

Both the patient and dentist must voluntarily participate in the resolution process and agree to the outcome. 

When a complaint is received, the Complaints Director can: 

• Encourage you and your dentist to resolve the complaint directly
• Assist you and your dentist in resolving the complaint
• Appoint an investigator to investigate
• Refer the complaint to a Hearing
• Dismiss your complaint 

Each complaint is assessed on an individual basis. Within 30 days after your complaint is received, you will be notified of the initial steps taken. The dentist is notified about the complaint and may receive a copy of the letter of complaint. 

The individual who makes a complaint, called a complainant, is expected to respond to requests for information (mail, emails, telephone calls) from the Professional Conduct Department. Complainants are considered witnesses and therefore can have an impact on the outcome. However, all decision–making authority is granted, under the Health Professions Act, to the Complaints Director. 

Formal complaints cannot be submitted anonymously. Formal letters of complaint are shared with the dentist named in the Complaint. 

One possible outcome the complaint process is the dentist you complained about will be referred to a Hearing. The Hearing Tribunal is comprised of two dentists and two members of the public who will hear the complaint and the evidence presented to determine if the dentist is guilty of unprofessional conduct. 

As part of a Hearing, the complainant may be asked to be a witness for the Professional Conduct Department. The witnesses required to attend the Hearing must provide information under oath, which is a promise that all statements are true and accurate. Witnesses may also be subject to cross-examination by the dentist’s lawyer or the dentist. 

If a dentist is found guilty of unprofessional conduct by a Hearing Tribunal, a written decision is prepared, and a summary of the decision, including the dentist’s name, will be published. This publication is required by CDSA Bylaw 24.5. The decision of the Hearing Tribunal may refer to your name, but in the publication of a summary of a decision, your name will be reduced to initials to protect your personal information. 

You will be notified in writing if your complaint is sent to an investigation and will be provided with the name of the investigator. The investigator will request information from you and others who have knowledge of the facts related to your complaint. The dentist will be provided with a copy of your letter of complaint and will be asked to provide a response to your complaint in writing, a copy of your clinical record, and your dental health information. 

When the investigation is completed, you will be notified in writing of the results. 

The length of time it takes varies depending on the complexity of the complaint. Should you have questions about the timeline of resolution of your concern or complaint, please contact the Professional Conduct Department.

After you make a complaint, additional information may be required from you. If you do not respond to requests from the College of Dental Surgeons of Alberta, your complaint may be dismissed or concluded as resolved. Confidential and private information about you or the dentist concerning the complaint will be sent to you by registered mail or through secure digital technology.  

If appropriate, efforts are made to resolve the matter to the satisfaction of the complainant. If resolution efforts are not successful, the complaint will transition to the investigative process. 

Following an investigation, the Complaints Director can do the following: 

• Conclude there is insufficient evidence of unprofessional conduct and dismiss the complaint. You have the right, within 30 days, to ask for a review of the Complaints Director’s decision by an Independent Panel; or 
• Conclude there is sufficient evidence of unprofessional conduct and refer the complaint to a Hearing Tribunal, you may be asked to be a witness at the Hearing.  

If you request a review of a Dismissal, there is an application fee of $200. However, the CDSA has established a policy under which complainants who are concerned that they are unable to pay the $200 application fee due to their financial circumstances, may apply for a waiver of the application fee. 

More information on the process and criteria to qualify for waiver of the fee can be obtained by clicking here. Complainants seeking more information about how to seek a waiver can also contact the Hearings Director of the CDSA. 

The Professional Conduct Department is guided by the Alberta’s Health Professions Act (HPA). As per the HPA, the Complaints Director can take one of the following first steps in the complaint process:

• Encourage the dentist and the complainant to resolve the complaint
• Attempt to resolve the complaint, with the consent of the dentist and the complainant
• Commence an investigation into the complaint
• Request an Expert to assess and provide a written report

Both the patient and dentist must voluntarily participate in the resolution process and agree to the outcome. 

Receiving a complaint is the first step in a multi-step process. Experience has shown that both complainants and dentists are more satisfied with the matter being resolved as opposed to proceeding with the formal complaints process. Open communication is encouraged between the dentists and the complainant with the goal of addressing the submitted concerns. 

It is not always possible to resolve the concerns without the assistance of an intermediary. Trained Professional Conduct Department employees are available to assist with resolution efforts.  

Resolution of a complaint is not a finding or an admission of guilt, rather it is simply an agreement to resolve the matter without the need for the time-consuming formal processes associated with a formal complaint.   

Resolution outcomes can take many forms. Typically, they have included the simple act of listening to one another, in the case of a complication apologizing that the patient was not happy with the outcome (not an admission of guilt), an admission that mistakes were made, agreeing to training, reimbursing for some or all of the treatment, etc.    

Resolution is a voluntary process and cannot be forced upon you. However, you may decide that resolution, while not a perfect solution, may be preferable to the formal processes involved in a complaint including an investigation, which can be long and time consuming. If a complaint is resolved, the complaint file is closed and there is no finding. 

The length of time it takes varies depending on the complexity of the complaint. Should you have questions about the timeline of resolution of your concern or complaint, please contact the Professional Conduct Department.

To the extent possible, your confidentiality is maintained. At the start of an investigation, the only parties who have access to the complaint are you, the Professional Conduct Department, and the person who has made the complaint. As the investigation progresses, additional information may be required from other dentists who have treated the patient or have been involved in the care of the patient, thereby becoming aware of the complaint. In addition, information may be required from staff members, associates, and other professionals who can provide information relevant to the complaint. 

• If both parties agree to Resolution, the complaint file is considered concluded and will not be reopened. The majority of complaints are resolved without the need for an investigation. 

• The complaint can be dismissed following an investigation. The person who has made a complaint can make a request for the dismissal to be reviewed, as permitted by the Health Professions Act. This request must be made within 30 days of the complainant receiving the Dismissal Letter. The dentist will be notified of the request for a review of the complaint and will be provided with information about the process and how to respond. The review process is typically concluded within six (6) months. 

• If sufficient evidence of unprofessional conduct is found following the investigation, the matter will be referred to a Hearing Tribunal. The decision makers at a Hearing Tribunal are two members of the public, appointed by the Government of Alberta, and two dentists. They can dismiss the charges or find the dentist has engaged in unprofessional conduct and discipline the dentist. The sanctions generally fit in the following categories: Reprimand, Fine, Courses/Coaching, Suspension, and/or Costs.  

• If your complaint is sent to a Hearing Tribunal, a notice of the Hearing and the date will be published on the CDSA website.  

• The results of the Hearing Tribunal and your name will be published on the CDSA website and in the CDSA Updater. During a suspension, the CDSA must notify insurance companies, Alberta Health Services, and hospitals where you have privileges. 

If you apply to practice in another jurisdiction, the CDSA will likely be required to disclose the number of complaints you have, the nature of the complaints, and the results of the complaints. 

If resolution efforts are not appropriate or successful, the formal complaint is assigned for investigation. 

The purpose of an investigation is to determine whether a dentist has complied with the Health Professions Act (HPA), the CDSA  standards of practice and Code of Ethics, and otherwise conducted  themselves in a manner that is expected of an Alberta Dentist. This involves ultimately determining whether  there is sufficient evidence of unprofessional conduct on the part of the dentist. Unprofessional conduct is defined in the HPA. You will receive  regular updates on the status of the complaint. Professional investigators have been retained to ensure you receive fair, impartial, and professional investigations. You will be provided with an opportunity to provide a fulsome response to the allegations. If the allegations relate to complex dental treatment, Dental Experts, who have been prescreened to avoid conflicts of interest, are utilized to assist the Complaints Director in reaching a fair conclusion.