• No express statutory authority exists for the Board to resolve fee dispute issues.

• Disputes against dentists that substantially relate to a fee dispute have historically been directed to the Peer Review Committee of the Wyoming Dental Association for resolution. The Wyoming Dental Association is a professional society, completely separate and independent of the Wyoming Board of Dental Examiners. If your complaint involves a fee dispute, please contact the Wyoming Dental Association's Executive Director at P.O. Box 40019, Casper, WY 82604 (307) 237-1186, to obtain further information regarding how the Peer Review Committee may assist you.

• PLEASE BE AWARE THAT COMPLETION OF THE ATTACHED FORMS IS NOT NECESSARY IF YOUR COMPLAINT INVOLVES A FEE DISPUTE.

• The Wyoming Board of Dental Examiners is charged with oversight of professional competency and conduct of its licensees.

• The Wyoming Board of Dental Examiners regulates the practice of dentistry and dental hygiene in the state of Wyoming in accordance with its governing authority set forth in the Wyoming Board of Dental Examiners Practice Act, the Board's Rules and Regulations, and the Board's Code of Ethics.

If you have a complaint against a dentist, dental hygienist, or dental assistant that you would like the Board to review, you must fill out the complaint form and send it to the Board at the address indicated below. Please include any supportive documents you may have, including dental records (and medical records, if appropriate). All complaints must be signed. Generally, the Board will not review unsigned complaints, verbal complaints, or complaints filed anonymously. Once the Board office has received the complaint, the President of the Board assigns a Board member the task of investigating the complaint, such Board member (or his/her designate) may contact the complainant, the dentist/dental hygienist, and/or any other potential witness who may be able to provide the Investigative Board Member with additional information related to the complaint. Ordinarily, the licensee is provided with a copy of the complaint in order to respond to the allegations. Both the complainant and the licensee may contact the investigative board member throughout the investigation to determine the status of the investigation; however, in order to maintain an unbiased quorum of board members to resolve the complaint at a future disciplinary hearing, no such contact may be made with the remaining board members regarding any aspect of the complaint during the investigation. Once the Investigative Board Member has concluded his/her investigation, he/she may then make a recommendation to the whole Board regarding whether disciplinary action is merited or alternatively may initiate a formal contested case proceeding for discipline. Following the Investigative Board Member's recommendation (or following a contested case hearing), the remaining board members shall ultimately determine the proper disposition of the complaint. The Board office shall notify both the complainant and licensee of the Board's ultimate resolution of the complaint. If the investigation of a complaint leads to a disciplinary contested case, it may be necessary for the complainant to testify before the Board.

Debra Bridges
Executive Director
1800 Carey Avenue, 4th Floor
Cheyenne, WY 82002
Phone: (307) 777-6529
Fax: (307) 777-3508
email: debra.bridges@wyo.gov