Dentist fined for ‘unprofessional’ responses to patients’ online reviews

An Iowa dentist has been fined $1,000 for allegedly violating the privacy of patients who posted online critiques of his care.

The Iowa Dental Board recently charged Dr. Trung Phan of Northpark Dental in Urbandale with unprofessional conduct and with failure to preserve the confidentiality of patient information.

The board alleges Phan “posted unprofessional responses to negative online reviews of him and included patient information” in those responses.

The board has disclosed no other information about the nature of the reviews, Phan’s responses, or when those incidents occurred.

To resolve the matter without a hearing, Phan and the board recently agreed to a settlement that calls for Phan to accept a warning that engaging in such conduct in the future may result in disciplinary action.

As part of the agreement, Phan has agreed to complete an ethics program of unspecified duration and pay a $1,000 civil penalty.

When contacted by the Iowa Capital Dispatch on Monday, Phan declined to comment and indicated he didn’t have time to discuss the matter.