CA-AG v. Aspen Dental Management, Inc.

Aspen Dental Management, Inc. allegedly violated California’s ban on the corporate practice of dentistry and engaged in false and misleading advertising. According to Attorney General Bonta, Aspen Dental may have exceeded its role as a dental support organization by, among other things, interfering with and unlawfully directing the practice, ownership, and management of dentistry in California. It is also alleged that Aspen Dental did not contract with existing dental offices but rather selected, purchased, staffed, and advertised its offices without clearly identifying an independent dentist-owner. Additionally, Aspen Dental also appears to have encouraged the sale of particular products and services through direct incentives to practices’ clinical employees. Further, many advertisements created by Aspen Dental may have contained misleading and/or false representations, including misleading testimonials, ambiguity, misleading cost claims, and inexact pricing language. Some advertisements represented that its offices worked with all insurance or no insurance; however, Aspen Dental offices did not accept state or federally funded insurance programs.

Summary generated from official California Attorney General press release