Former Woodbury dental clinic owes customers refunds after AG settlement

Customers of Woodbury Dental Arts are now eligible for refunds after they paid up-front for dental procedures they never received.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced he reached a settlement with the dentist office in a release Friday.

Woodbury dentist Marko Kamel’s license was suspended in November 2023 following two procedures where implants failed and caused patients to experience painful infections.

“All too often, when we catch scammers, they don’t have money left to pay back the people they cheated,” Ellison said. “That almost happened when Woodbury Dental Arts abruptly closed up shop and declared bankruptcy after accepting down payments for costly dental procedures they would never provide.”

According to legal documents, one patient allegedly had seven of 12 implants fail over two years. The patient repeatedly returned to Kamel’s office for treatment of persistent pain, loose implants and a cracked bridge.

A different patient went to the Maple Grove Hospital emergency room in 2023 for severe pain three days after Kamel removed their teeth and installed 12 implants. The patient later went to the emergency room, where doctors found a rapidly progressing infection. The dental board’s report notes that post-operative infections are uncommon after dental implant surgery.

Kamel allegedly misrepresented his 2023 suspension to customers and continued to accept up-front fees for future procedures. In May 2024, Kamel closed Woodbury Dental Arts and filed for bankruptcy. Many patients had unfinished treatments for dental implant services.

“I’m glad we can compensate those Minnesotans who lost so much when Woodbury Dental Arts shut its doors,” Ellison said in a release. “The Consumer Protection Restitution Account is an outstanding new tool in our toolbox that will really aid our mission of helping Minnesotans afford their lives.”

The Attorney General’s office does not have a complete list of patients and cannot contact them directly, the release said.

Patients who believe they are entitled to a refund can contact the Attorney General’s office by calling 612-429-7130 or emailing woodburydental@ag.state.mn.us.

Consumers must submit their claims within 60 days of receiving notice of the settlement. Former Woodbury Dental Arts patients must verify they paid fees out of pocket and the services were not completed to be eligible for a refund.