How to Make a Complaint

The CDSA has responsibilities as a regulator to receive and respond to the complaints about a dentist or dental practice.

Making a formal complaint to the CDSA

If you make a formal complaint to the CDSA about the conduct of a dentist or quality of care, your complaint must:

• be in writing
• be signed by you
• provide the name of the dentist you are complaining about
• include enough detail about the nature of your complaint so the dentist is able to respond to the complaint, such as what happened, when it happened and where it happened
• list your contact information including your mailing address and phone number
• be sent by fax or mail to the CDSA

By mail:
College of Dental Surgeons of Alberta
Attention: Intake Manager
402 – 7609 109 ST NW
Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1C3

OR by Fax to:
1-780-433-4864

What the CDSA Doesn’t Do

The CDSA does not:

• act on complaints about your third party provider (insurer)
• act on complaints about employment within a dental practice or office staff of a dental practice
• act on complaints of former regulated members of the CDSA, if two years have passed since their registration halted
• provide legal services to patients or dentists
• act as a patient advocate or an advocate for complainants or dentists
• represent third party providers or insurers
• provide referrals or recommend dentists
• fund or refund dental treatment
• provide copies of dental records. You must request this information directly from the dental office
• respond to complaints about denturists, dental hygienists, or dental assistants, as these professionals are regulated by their own colleges and complaints must be sent to those colleges, not the CDSA