What's Wrong With Dental Care in Washington State

• There’s a glut of dentists in Washington State, so marketing is aggressive, and competition is cutthroat,
• Some dentists are more qualified than others. Some do excellent work, but some have done permanent damage to their patients, and even been responsible for deaths.
• There’s no factual registry consumers can access to determine best choices, and who to avoid, (eg.,who has been sued for malpractice or disciplined, been implicated in a death, or who has been banned outside our state).
• Dentistry is a very competitive business, especially since the widespread use of fluoride has reduced the market for patients needing fillings and crowns.
• Focus in dentistry has shifted from oral health to cosmetic dentistry (smile makeovers) and implants. ClearChoice based in Colorado, and widely-advertised on TV here, is the big box approach to implants. Implant dentistry is invasive, and requires the highest level of care, so lawsuits are on the horizon.
• Cosmetic dentistry can include such services as Botox injections, dermal fillers for face and gums, eyelash extensions, hot paraffin hand dips, and other  procedures not previously associated with dental care.
• When you pay your dental bill, you are paying for fancy offices, expensive marketing used to lure you in, (flashy websites, ads, marketing services and Groupon-type deals), and also for dental malpractice insurance paid by the dentist, which might at some point be used against you.
• If you need to sue a dentist in Washington State, there are very few lawyers available who specialize in dental malpractice, because the odds of a patient winning a lawsuit against powerful dental malpractice insurance firms is slim to none. About 95% of the time, the dentist wins.
• If you are harmed and cannot afford to sue, you have the option of filing a complaint with the Department of Health, Dental Quality Assurance Commission, DQAC. Your case will be reviewed by dentists who have been appointed by the governor, but DQAC has a reputation for closing cases without thorough review, even in cases of death.
• If you file a complaint with DQAC, it can take up to 18 months for them to make a decision, and once they rule against you, your chances of winning in court are diminished, and DQAC will not necessarily review all your records to make their determination. You have only a 3-year statute of limitations to seek justice.
• If you need to find a dentist to testify on your behalf in a dental malpractice case, you will most likely not be able to find one, unless you can afford to pay for a professional witness from out-of-state. Dentists are very reluctant to take time away from their practices to defend you in court, and will resist tainting their reputations by testifying against anyone else in their profession.
• Dentists in Washington State are poorly-regulated and unable to be challenged by patients they have harmed. Since inept dentists are rarely sanctioned, referring dentists face the same challenges as patients in determining which dentists should be avoided.
• This situation where dentists are untouchable in Washington State hurts everyone, including the profession itself, and it needs to change NOW!

If you have had a bad experience with dentistry in Washington State, please share your comments, and sign my petition. Thanks!

http://signon.org/sign/governor-inslee-reform