During the review process, the Board will protect your identity, unless you consent to have it disclosed to the person against whom you filed a complaint. Disclosing your identity, however, can assist the Board in investigating your complaint, since licensees and registrants must respond to specific complaints rather than to general accusations. There is no set time limit. The length of the review process tends to vary with the complexity of the complaint. Some reviews move very quickly, others take months.
Some complex cases requiring extensive investigations can take a year or more.
You can contact the Board staff at any time. In addition, the staff will contact you when the review process is complete and the Board has made a decision about your complaint. The Board receives some complaints that do not lead to action against a licensee or registrant. The Board cannot take action against a Dentist, Hygienist or Registered Assistant unless there is sufficient evidence to show that the licensee or registrant violated Minnesota's Dental Practice Act. The Board must thoroughly review each complaint before it takes any action.