Once you submit a written and signed complaint, the Complaints Director reviews it under Part 4 of the Health Professions Act. You’ll receive a response confirming whether your submission meets the requirements and, if so, what happens next.
The Complaints Director must then decide how to proceed. The HPA provides several options, including:
- suggesting that you and the dental assistant try to resolve the concern
- suggesting another type of resolution
- beginning an investigation
- requesting a subject matter expert report
- dismissing the complaint
We understand that making a complaint can feel overwhelming. Our role is to guide you through the process and ensure you understand what is involved at each stage.
Confidentiality and fairness
The information you provide is handled with care. Only those involved in the matter, such as the dental assistant, an investigator, or a Hearing Tribunal (if the matter is referred to a hearing), will have access to the details as required to fulfil their role within the process.
We also ensure you and the dental assistant are treated fairly throughout the process by following the requirements of the HPA, gathering information from all relevant sources, and applying our processes consistently.
Our goal is to understand what happened from all perspectives and make a decision based on the available information.
Timelines and next steps
While every situation is different, here is what generally happens next:
- Once your complaint is accepted, the Complaints Director has 30 days to decide how to proceed under the HPA.
- If an investigation is started, the process may take several weeks or months, depending on the nature of the complaint and the information required. We are required by the HPA to provide status updates every 60 days.
- After the review or investigation is complete, you will be notified of the decision and the reasons for it.
- If the matter is referred to a hearing, a Hearing Tribunal will be appointed to hear the evidence and make a decision. You may be asked to attend and provide testimony.
If you’re unsatisfied with the outcome
If your complaint is dismissed and you disagree with the decision, you may request a review. A Complaint Review Committee, consisting of public members and dental assistants, will look at the material and decide whether to:
- refer the matter to a hearing,
- request further investigation, or
- uphold the decision of the Complaints Director.
If your complaint proceeds to a hearing, the decision of the Hearing Tribunal cannot be appealed by a complainant. Under the HPA, only the dental assistant or the Complaints Director may appeal this decision.
Contacting the Alberta Ombudsman
If you have concerns about the fairness of how your complaint was handled, not about the decision itself, but about the process, you may contact the Alberta Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman is independent of the College and reviews concerns about whether a regulatory body acted fairly, followed proper procedure, and applied legislation appropriately.
