Spreading The Word

When a Local Dentist Is Disciplined, Parents Share News -- and Views -- Online

Once, word of disciplinary action against a popular local dentist -- if it surfaced publicly at all -- might not have gone much beyond the back pages of a newsletter published by the state board of dental examiners.

But that is not how it happened for pediatric dentist Ophir I. Alalouf.

An anonymous April 17 posting on the Web site DC Urban Moms and Dads alerted parents to problems with the care he provided at his Rockville practice, Kids Teeth.

"Dr. Alalouf has had his license suspended effective May 2. This is not a rumor . . .," read the initial post.

Since then, the case of Alalouf, temporarily suspended for performing what a state regulatory board says was unneeded treatment, has spun out for pages on the DC Urban Moms and Dads site ( http://www.dcurbanmom.com), with scores of nameless readers weighing in. The story's journey through the electronic rumor mill offers a reminder of the potential risks and benefits of online information networks, many of them fed anonymously. And as more sites encourage users to post anecdotal evaluations of service providers, from carpenters to cardiologists, it provides a glimpse of what may lie ahead.

Kevin Dunne, a lawyer for Alalouf, has advised him not to speak about the case. Dunne said the dentist intends to return to his practice after Labor Day. A spokeswoman for Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, where Alalouf had served on the medical staff, said he had also been suspended there. Meanwhile, the welter of information and opinions on the Web site engrossed readers for days.

Someone posted a link to the 47-page document detailing Alalouf's investigation by the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners. Pages of tooth numbers and treatment codes didn't quell the heat.

"Everyone is so obsessed," said Susan Ruiz, a Gaithersburg property manager whose three children are Alalouf patients.

Mimi Laver, a lawyer in the District whose two children also see Alalouf, agreed. "There's a lot of emotion," she said.

Both Ruiz and Laver said they planned to continue to use the practice. But they and others said the saga has reminded them to use care in choosing health providers and weighing treatment decisions, seeking out additional professional advice when necessary.

"It's our responsibility as parents to get a second opinion," Ruiz said.

In a consent order signed April 2, Alalouf agreed to a year's suspension of his license, with the understanding that the suspension will be stayed Aug. 31 if he completes a series of courses and exams. Alalouf, who will remain on probation for three years, has also agreed to additional monitoring and review by the board.

Alalouf "has admitted to having made some mistakes," Dunne said. "But the dental board did not believe he should have his license revoked."

The state board acted after reviewing five complaints against Alalouf, dating to 2002, plus subpoenaed records of 25 more patients. Board members concluded that Alalouf had performed "extensive dental treatment without clinical justification." According to the consent order, the board also found that Alalouf had provided treatment without getting proper authorization from parents.

In a 2005 complaint investigated by the board, records show, the mother of an 18-year-old with autism told the board she had allowed Alalouf to place her son under general anesthesia to fill four cavities. Instead, Alalouf filled cavities in 22 teeth.

The mother, who had arranged with social service agencies to cover a $606 charge, was faced with a bill for $2,711. A dental board expert who reviewed the case found no sign of decay in X-rays of two of the teeth Alalouf had restored. And the board concluded that Alalouf had not discussed the need for or cost of the additional treatments with the patient's mother, or obtained consent to perform them.

Murray Sherman, the board's legal assistant, said he could not comment on the consent order. He said disciplinary actions are listed in the board's annual newsletter, available online at http://www.dhmh.state.md.us/dental. But the 2008 newsletter hasn't yet been published. Texts of disciplinary orders are also available to the public by calling the board at 410-402-8532.

While Alalouf serves his suspension, his partner and staff will continue to care for his patients, said office manager Nazy Hacker. Meanwhile, on http://DCurbanmom.com, the thread continues to unwind.

"We will stay with Dr. A," one poster writes.

"I'm shocked that people would continue to use the practice -- or defend him," writes another.

"All right already. 100 + plus posts seem to cover all the ground there is on both sides," someone adds. "This is a plea to stop."

But it goes on and on from there.

DC Urban Moms and Dads Web site administrator Jeff Steele, who launched the site with his wife in 2001 to help parents exchange advice, said he doesn't recall seeing such a debate over a dentist before, though the site has hosted impassioned discussions about OB-GYNs.

Steele said he has monitored the exchanges about Alalouf for potential abuses. But, he said, he has been impressed by the overall tenor of the conversation.

"It could go overboard," he said. "But in this case, by luck or design, it's worked out to be evenhanded."

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