Peer Review

Peer Review is a process by which the dental profession reviews and attempts to resolve dental treatment problems and misunderstandings through mediation. It is not a court and has no disciplinary function. It merely provides an alternative dispute-resolution mechanism, at no cost to either party. It addresses disputes between patients, dental care providers, and third-party carriers.

To initiate a peer review at the ODDS level, please contact the ODDS Peer Review Committee Chair and provide details of your specific concern and your contact information.

Disputes that may be addressed through peer review involve:

• Appropriateness of care
• Quality of care
• Dentist's fee — whether the fee in question is the usual dentist's fee based on difficulty or complexity of the dental procedure

Under some circumstances, decisions of the ODDS Peer Review Committee may be appealed to the NDA (state level) by either the dentist or the other party involved. For more information, go to nedental.org.

Peer Review Resources

The ADA has a variety of materials regarding the Peer Review process.