Iowa Dental Board tackles corporate dentistry issue

Jan 9, 2011

The Iowa Dental Board is looking more closely at corporate dental practices in the wake of last week's abrupt closure of all 38 Allcare Dental and Dentures offices in the U.S., including Iowa.

Emergency Dental Care USA in Clive, IA, is now working with Allcare Dental to accept the transfer of records for Iowa patients, the board noted in a press release.

The dental board also said it has seen an increase in complaints regarding corporate dental practices, including continuity-of-care issues and issues related to the business aspects of the practice.

Under Iowa law, the dental board licenses only dentists, not business corporations, and has no statutory or administrative authority to regulate corporate practice.

"Corporate dentistry" refers to an emerging business model where a corporation runs the business side of a practice and hires licensed dentists as employees. This model tends to attract younger dentists who are newer to the practice of dentistry and not as familiar with the corporate practice structure, the board noted.

"The board holds all Iowa-licensed dentists responsible for maintaining patient records and ensuring there is no abandonment of patient care," the dental board stated in the release. "Working for a corporate dental practice does not relieve a licensed dentist of responsibility for complying with the standards of patient care and principles of professional ethics established by the board."

Such employment relationships can be challenging because the employed dentist may not have access to the patient records, the financial documents, or even the office after business hours, the board noted.

"With no direct control over the business practices of the corporation, it can be very difficult for a licensed dentist to meet the board's requirements," said Gary Roth, DDS, dental board chairman. "Currently, we license the dentist, not the business."

The dental board has adopted rules regarding inappropriate patient billing practices, such as dentists prebilling patients for services not yet received. However, the rules apply only to the licensed dentist, not to the corporation that is running the dental business, the board noted.