I got scammed by a dentist - what now?

[W0Wme]

I'd contact your Attorney General, let them know you feel you have been scammed & see what they can do.

[mom25grls]

My suggestion is to contact your State Attorney General's office and explain the situation and ask them what you should do. THEY likely will do an investigation on the practice and help you get your money back (or at the very least MAKE the dentist replace the retainer with a good one).

I would first IN WRITING contact the dentist, tell them what your experience has been and that you will be giving them xxx number of days to contact you to correct the situation and if they have not you will be then contacting the State Attorney General's office as well as the American Dental Association. Don't, in my opinion, mess with the BBB as they really won't necessarily do a lot for a dental situation, it is more related to other businesses. I think you will have better luck with a personal letter (and be sure to spend the extra to send it CERTIFIED, so that they HAVE to sign for it and you get a receipt verifying it for further proof of their ignoring you.

good luck! Hope this all gets straightened out for you!

[rbunnymom]

Here is the website to file a license complaint against the dentist if you so choose:

Texas State Board of Dental Examiners - Complaint Process Explained

[joshmamabear]

while the formal letter is a good idea, do you know of any lawyer in your area that offers free consult on the first visit? we have one in our area that goes as far as offering to write the other party, if necessary, to see if that will solve the problem.

It will have more bearing/impact and the dentist will likely act on it immediately if the letter came from your lawyer rather than one that came from a layperson. But you can try writing it yourself and if they don't respond, it is best to go to the clinic and demand to speak with someone in charge of billing.