{"id":31231,"date":"2026-07-24T21:56:04","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T21:56:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/?page_id=31231"},"modified":"2026-07-24T21:59:54","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T21:59:54","slug":"how-to-respond-to-a-cdsa-complaint","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/how-to-respond-to-a-cdsa-complaint\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Respond to a CDSA Complaint"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"31231\" class=\"elementor elementor-31231\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f1e64f5 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"f1e64f5\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a402e91 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"a402e91\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n<!-- ===== How to Respond to a CDSA Complaint | Elementor Custom HTML fragment ===== -->\r\n<!-- Body only. 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Support<\/a> <span>\/<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/knowledge-support\/dentists\/alberta\/\">Dentists &mdash; Alberta<\/a> <span>\/<\/span> How to Respond to a CDSA Complaint<\/nav>\r\n<p class=\"eyebrow\">Alberta &middot; College of Dental Surgeons of Alberta<\/p>\r\n<h1>How to Respond to a CDSA Complaint<\/h1>\r\n<div class=\"meta\"><b>9 min read<\/b><span>Last updated July 14, 2026<\/span><\/div>\r\n<p class=\"lede\">Alberta routes every concern about a dentist through one office and, ultimately, one decision-maker: the Complaints Director at the College of Dental Surgeons of Alberta. What that officer decides in the first weeks &mdash; resolve, dismiss, investigate, or refer to a hearing &mdash; shapes everything that follows. The early stage is not a warm-up to the real process. For most dentists, it is the process.<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"callout\"><strong>Before you do anything:<\/strong> get legal advice and notify your liability insurer. Do not amend the chart, the radiographs or the consent forms, and do not contact the complainant. But do not ignore the letter either &mdash; failing to cooperate with the CDSA is itself unprofessional conduct.<\/div>\r\n<h2>Who regulates you, and in what terms<\/h2>\r\n<p>Dentists in Alberta are regulated by the College of Dental Surgeons of Alberta (CDSA) under the <em>Health Professions Act<\/em>, RSA 2000, c H-7, together with the CDSA&rsquo;s Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics.<\/p>\r\n<p>The vocabulary is Alberta&rsquo;s own. You are a <strong>regulated member<\/strong>. What is at stake is your <strong>practice permit<\/strong>. And the thing you may be found to have committed is <strong>unprofessional conduct<\/strong> &mdash; a single, broad statutory concept that runs from a lapse of clinical judgment to a failure to answer the College&rsquo;s letters.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2>One office handles it: the Professional Conduct Department<\/h2>\r\n<p>Concerns about a dentist go to CDSA&rsquo;s <strong>Professional Conduct Department<\/strong>, and the key decision-maker is the <strong>Complaints Director<\/strong> &mdash; a statutory officer under the HPA, not a committee. That is a structural difference from Ontario, where a committee screens complaints, and from British Columbia, where an Investigation Committee does.<\/p>\r\n<p>Under the HPA, the Complaints Director&rsquo;s available first steps include:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><strong>Encouraging resolution<\/strong> &mdash; inviting the dentist and the complainant to resolve the matter directly, where that is appropriate;<\/li>\r\n<li><strong>Dismissal<\/strong> &mdash; where there is insufficient evidence of unprofessional conduct, or the complaint is trivial, frivolous or vexatious;<\/li>\r\n<li><strong>Investigation<\/strong> &mdash; assigning the formal complaint to an investigator;<\/li>\r\n<li><strong>Referral to a hearing<\/strong> &mdash; where the evidence supports unprofessional conduct and public safety requires it.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n<h2>What &ldquo;unprofessional conduct&rdquo; covers<\/h2>\r\n<p>The HPA definition is deliberately wide. It captures a lack of knowledge, skill or judgment; contravening the Act, the Code of Ethics or a CDSA Standard of Practice; misrepresenting your permit status; breaching conditions on a permit, a settlement or a Tribunal order; conduct that harms the integrity of the profession; and &mdash; importantly &mdash; <strong>failing or refusing to cooperate<\/strong> with the College.<\/p>\r\n<p>For dentists, the recurring subject matter tends to cluster around a familiar set: standard of care and treatment planning, informed consent and the adequacy of the fee estimate, record-keeping, infection prevention and control, advertising, billing and insurance, and sedation. A complaint in any of these areas is a complaint about your professional conduct, whatever its commercial origin.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2>Your first week<\/h2>\r\n<ol>\r\n<li><strong>Get legal advice and notify your liability insurer before you write anything.<\/strong> Not after a draft &mdash; before.<\/li>\r\n<li><strong>Diarise every deadline<\/strong> and request an extension early if you need one.<\/li>\r\n<li><strong>Preserve the record exactly as it stands.<\/strong> The chart, the radiographs, the consent forms, the fee estimate, the lab slips. Never alter, add to or &ldquo;clean up&rdquo; a record after a complaint arrives &mdash; amendments are detectable and turn a question about your dentistry into a question about your honesty.<\/li>\r\n<li><strong>Do not contact the complainant<\/strong> to &ldquo;sort it out&rdquo; once the College is involved.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p>You may disclose health information to the College for the purposes of its investigation; Alberta&rsquo;s <em>Health Information Act<\/em> permits disclosure to a regulatory body exercising its statutory function.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2>Answer the College&rsquo;s letters<\/h2>\r\n<div class=\"callout\"><strong>This is not a nicety.<\/strong> Failing or refusing to cooperate with the College is itself unprofessional conduct under the HPA, and Alberta tribunals treat it as a free-standing offence &mdash; sanctioned in its own right, on top of whatever the original concern was. Take advice on what to say. Then say it, on time.<\/div>\r\n\r\n<h2>Writing a response the Complaints Director can use<\/h2>\r\n<p>Set out the clinical picture and your reasoning <em>at the time<\/em>, on the information and imaging you actually had. Address each concern individually. Anchor everything in the record &mdash; the chart, the radiographs, the signed consent, the written estimate. Where something did fall short, say so plainly and say what you have already done about it.<\/p>\r\n<p>Because one of the Complaints Director&rsquo;s early options is to encourage resolution, a response that engages seriously with the patient&rsquo;s experience can keep the matter at its least damaging stage. A dismissive response tends to push the file towards investigation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2>If the complaint is dismissed<\/h2>\r\n<p>A dismissal is not always the end. The complainant may ask a <strong>Complaint Review Committee<\/strong> to review the Complaints Director&rsquo;s decision &mdash; there is a $200 application fee, which may be waived on financial grounds. The CRC decides whether the dismissal was reasonable, and can confirm it, send the matter back for further investigation, or refer it to a hearing. Keep your file in order until that window has closed.<\/p>\r\n<section class=\"kt\"><h2>Key takeaways<\/h2><ul><li>Alberta dentists are &ldquo;regulated members&rdquo; holding a &ldquo;practice permit&rdquo;, governed by the Health Professions Act, RSA 2000, c H-7, and the CDSA Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics.<\/li><li>Complaints go to CDSA&rsquo;s Professional Conduct Department, and the Complaints Director &mdash; one statutory officer, not a committee &mdash; decides the route: encourage resolution, dismiss, investigate, or refer to a hearing.<\/li><li>&ldquo;Unprofessional conduct&rdquo; is broad and expressly includes failing to cooperate with the College, which Alberta tribunals sanction as a free-standing offence.<\/li><li>Common dental subject matter: standard of care, consent and fee estimates, records, infection control, advertising, billing and sedation.<\/li><li>Get legal advice and notify your insurer before responding. Never amend the chart, radiographs or consent forms after a complaint arrives.<\/li><li>If a complaint is dismissed, the complainant can ask a Complaint Review Committee to review it (a $200 fee, waivable) &mdash; which can send it back for investigation or on to a hearing.<\/li><\/ul><\/section>\r\n<section class=\"courses\"><h2>Related courses<\/h2><p class=\"sub\">Practical, self-paced CPD courses that map onto the issues in this guide. These are educational courses. They are not accredited by the CDSA and are not a substitute for legal advice.<\/p><div class=\"cgrid\">\r\n<a class=\"ccard\" href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/courses\/dealing-with-a-complaint-or-investigation-professionally\/\"><div class=\"ct\">Dealing With a Complaint or Investigation Professionally<\/div><p class=\"cd\">How to respond to a College complaint calmly, constructively and on the record.<\/p><span class=\"go\">View course &rarr;<\/span><\/a>\r\n<a class=\"ccard\" href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/courses\/consent-and-chaperone-in-healthcare-practice\/\"><div class=\"ct\">Consent and Chaperone in Healthcare Practice<\/div><p class=\"cd\">Informed consent and fee estimates \\u2014 a recurring subject of dental complaints.<\/p><span class=\"go\">View course &rarr;<\/span><\/a>\r\n<a class=\"ccard\" href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/courses\/documentation-for-healthcare-professionals\/\"><div class=\"ct\">Documentation for Healthcare Professionals<\/div><p class=\"cd\">Records, radiographs and consent forms, and why they must never be altered after the fact.<\/p><span class=\"go\">View course &rarr;<\/span><\/a>\r\n<a class=\"ccard\" href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/courses\/ethics-and-ethical-standards-for-dentists-and-dental-professionals\/\"><div class=\"ct\">Ethics and Ethical Standards for Dentists and Dental Professionals<\/div><p class=\"cd\">Core ethical standards for dentists and dental professionals.<\/p><span class=\"go\">View course &rarr;<\/span><\/a>\r\n<\/div><\/section>\r\n<section class=\"nextset\"><h2>Continue reading: Alberta dentists<\/h2>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/what-happens-during-a-cdsa-investigation\">What happens during a CDSA investigation?<\/a>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareethicscourses.com\/can\/remediation-and-reflection-for-alberta-dentists\">Remediation and reflection for Alberta dentists<\/a>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<section class=\"faq\"><h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\r\n<details><summary>Who decides what happens to a CDSA complaint?<\/summary><div class=\"ans\">The Complaints Director, within CDSA&rsquo;s Professional Conduct Department. Unlike Ontario, where a committee screens complaints, Alberta routes every complaint through a single statutory officer, who can encourage resolution, dismiss the complaint, assign it for investigation, or refer it to a hearing.<\/div><\/details>\r\n<details><summary>Do I have to respond to CDSA&rsquo;s letters?<\/summary><div class=\"ans\">Yes, and it is not optional. Failing or refusing to cooperate with the College is itself unprofessional conduct under the Health Professions Act, and Alberta tribunals treat it as a distinct offence, sanctioned on top of the original concern. Take advice on what to say, then respond within the deadline.<\/div><\/details>\r\n<details><summary>What kinds of things do dental complaints usually involve?<\/summary><div class=\"ans\">Most cluster around standard of care and treatment planning, informed consent and the adequacy of the fee estimate, record-keeping, infection prevention and control, advertising, billing and insurance, and sedation. Whatever its commercial trigger, a complaint in any of these areas is treated as a matter of professional conduct.<\/div><\/details>\r\n<details><summary>Can I just call the patient and sort it out?<\/summary><div class=\"ans\">Not once the College is involved. Contacting a complainant to resolve things directly, after a formal complaint has been made, can itself generate a further concern. The Complaints Director may formally encourage resolution as one route, but that is a structured step, not something you should initiate on your own.<\/div><\/details>\r\n<details><summary>Can I give the College my patient&rsquo;s records?<\/summary><div class=\"ans\">Yes. Alberta&rsquo;s Health Information Act permits disclosure of health information to a regulatory body exercising its statutory function. Provide the complete record &mdash; chart, radiographs, consent forms, fee estimate &mdash; but never alter or supplement it after the complaint has arrived.<\/div><\/details>\r\n<details><summary>What happens if my complaint is dismissed?<\/summary><div class=\"ans\">The complainant can ask a Complaint Review Committee to review the decision, on payment of a $200 application fee that may be waived on financial grounds. The CRC assesses whether the dismissal was reasonable, and can uphold it, refer the matter back for further investigation, or refer it directly to a hearing.<\/div><\/details>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<p class=\"disc\">This article is general information for dentists regulated by the College of Dental Surgeons of Alberta and does not constitute legal advice. Regulatory processes and the law change, and every case turns on its own facts. If you are the subject of a complaint or investigation, obtain advice from a lawyer experienced in professional regulation, and notify your professional liability insurer, before you respond. Last updated July 14, 2026.<\/p>\r\n<\/article>\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\r\n{\r\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\r\n  \"@graph\": [\r\n    {\r\n      \"@type\": \"Article\",\r\n      \"headline\": \"How to Respond to a CDSA Complaint\",\r\n      \"description\": \"Alberta routes every complaint through the CDSA Complaints Director. 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