Transferring Records
If you are coming to our office for the first time, we would like to obtain X-rays from your previous dentist, especially if they were taken within the past three years.
For New Patients
We have a legal obligation to take and maintain current dental X-rays in order to fully diagnose our patients’ oral health. In fact, we are not able to treat patients who refuse the minimally acceptable diagnostic dental X-rays. For this reason, if previous X-rays cannot be obtained, if they are out of date, or if they are not of acceptable diagnostic quality, you must have diagnostic X-rays taken as a new patient in our office.
In order to transfer your X-rays from your previous dentist, use the form linked to on this page. Please print, sign, scan and mail or email it to your previous dentist; this will serve as your records request.
For Our Patients Who Move Away:
The second form on this page is for our patients who are moving away from us. We are sorry you are moving, but if you simply must, please allow us to help you one final time by transferring your records to your new dentist. You may print, sign and mail the form to our office, or fill out, sign, scan and email the signed copy to: records@smilephiladelphian.com
Patients’ Rights
We want you to understand your rights as a patient. The law requires dentists to comply with requests for dental records in a timely manner, and has been written to favor the consumer.
This excerpt from the Pennsylvania Code of Professional & Vocational Standards (Title 49) clearly explains your rights in this matter:
(c) “Within 30 days of receipt of a written request from a patient, or a patient’s parents or legal guardian if the patient is a minor, an exact copy of the patient’s written dental record, along with copies of radiographs (X-rays), if requested, shall be furnished to the patient or to the patient’s new dentist. This service shall be provided either gratuitously or for a fee reflecting the cost of reproduction.”
Furthermore, (d) “The obligation to transfer records under subsection (c) exists irrespective of a patient’s unpaid balance for dental services or for the cost of reproducing the record.”