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Georgia Board of Dentistry seeks investigators and equipment as complaint volumes rise
Summary
The Georgia Board of Dentistry told the appropriations subcommittee that complaints have risen sharply (over 1,000 cases) and the board needs investigator positions, a vehicle and protective equipment to reduce its backlog and process complaints timely.
The executive director of the Georgia Board of Dentistry briefed senators on complaint volumes and the board’s capacity to investigate cases.
Clint Joyner said the board received 1,007 complaints in FY25 and is on track to exceed 1,200 this year. He told the committee the board currently processes roughly 270–290 cases per investigator annually and that the board’s capacity was strained; the house added funding to support one vehicle and protective equipment for an additional criminal investigator and proposed new investigator positions for FY27. Joyner said the board has worked to resolve longstanding backlogged cases dating to 2014 and that the oldest remaining cases are now from 2020.
Senators asked for a three‑ and six‑month scorecard tracking backlog progress and case types. Joyner said the largest categories are malpractice and billing issues, with fewer boundary‑issue cases. He recommended continued staffing and funding to keep pace with complaint growth and to deter poor practice by ensuring more timely investigations.
