Complaints and Professional Discipline

It is important you receive professional, competent, and ethical care from your dental assistant. If you have concerns about the professional service or conduct of a dental assistant, we are here to help you.

The Health Professions Act (HPA), Part 4, describes the complaint process in detail and we follow the process in the Act.

Please contact our Complaints Director with your questions and concerns.

What kind of complaints can the College accept?

Examples of unprofessional conduct are found in the HPA section 1(1)(pp) and include:

• unskilled, incompetent or illegal practice
• misrepresenting qualifications or registration status
• failing to practice to the standards in our Code of Ethics or Standards of Practice

If your concerns may involve conduct of a sexual nature please review Sexual Abuse and Sexual Misconduct Complaints.

All complaints must be in writing and need to be signed. Please use our Complaint Form as it helps you include the information we need to look into your concerns.

What can I expect if I make a complaint?

You will receive a response within thirty (30) days letting you know if we can accept your complaint and, if accepted, what the next steps will be.

The HPA permits a variety of responses and our Complaints Director may choose any of them such as:

• begin an investigation
• suggest you and the dental assistant try to resolve the concern
• suggest a resolution
• dismiss a complaint

We treat you and the dental assistant fairly by gathering as much information as possible before making any decisions or judgments. We make every effort to resolve matters in a timely manner, however, the process can take a few months.

Once we have gathered and considered the information, we will notify you of next steps or decisions.

If you have concerns about the fairness of how your complaint was handled, you may contact the Ombudsman.