Problems in the Illinois Department of Professional Regulations

The BGA uncovered severe deficiencies in the way the IDPR handles its investigations. In February 2002, Santiago Arminana visited a small dental clinic on Chicago's West Side where he had three teeth extracted.

After severe bleeding and pain in the days to come, Arminana had to go to the emergency room for the problems to be fixed.  He later found out the dentists who worked on his mouth were never licensed and filed a complaint with the IDPR.

Despite keeping good records of his experience, the IDPR did not address the claim immediately.  More shockingly, the dentist who extracted the teeth from his mouth was awarded a dental license six months after Arminana's complaint was filed.  It was not until May 2004 that the IDPR brought charges against the now-licensed dentist, who still practices in Chicago.

WBBM-TV's Pam Zekman reported on this story as part of her own investigation into the IDPR's lack of responsiveness to complaints about Illinois dentists.

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