If you’ve ever felt unduly attacked in any online reviews, take heart. This dentist felt some reviews were way out of line, and he's doing something about it.
A series of unwarranted defamatory online reviews led Winnipeg dentist, Dr. Dheeraj Mittal of Greenwoods Dental Centre, to take action: he’s suing the person behind the reviews.
The negative reviews began in early July after the patient’s visit in June, and continued for several weeks, appearing on Google, Yelp, Facebook, and the Better Business Bureau. The practice claims the reviews continue to damage their reputation and business.
The review that garnered the most attention and was cited in the lawsuit stated, "Go find a homeless individual in a back alley, give them $50 and tell them which teeth you need out. It will hurt less in the long run!"
According to CBC, the man said the dentist was ill-equipped to provide oral sedation. He claims to have gone home and accidentally ripped out the stitches in his mouth when he tried to replace gauze after the procedure.
He continued posting the reviews for several weeks, despite the practice reaching out to him to apologize and offer him a chance to come back to visit with the dentist who did the procedure. The patient declined both and demanded a refund from the clinic and the Manitoba Dental Association.
The practice claims the reviews were designed to recover his fees and damage the practice’s reputation and profits.
A spokesperson for the practice declined to comment about the lawsuit because it’s ongoing. However, he said they welcome all types of reviews, including negative, because this allows them to change if necessary. However, the spokesperson said this doesn’t give the person the right to post the “cowardly” reviews that were "false, inaccurate, misleading and defamatory,” according to CBC.
In the lawsuit, the practice asked the man to take down the reviews, but so far, he’s only removed them from Google. Greenwoods Denter Centre is also seeking general, special, and punitive damages against the man.
Read about another recent lawsuit.
