City Sues Southeast Brooklyn Dental Practices Over Alleged Predatory Lending

The City of New York has initiated legal action against two Brooklyn-based dental providers, accusing them of engaging in predatory financial practices that allegedly left patients with significant medical debt. The lawsuit, filed by the Mamdani administration, names New York Family Dentistry and Canarsie Family Dentistry as defendants, citing what city officials describe as egregious violations of the municipal Consumer Protection Law.

An investigation conducted by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) suggests that the dental groups specifically targeted low-income, elderly, and emergency-care patients in southeast Brooklyn. According to the complaint, the practices allegedly lured patients with low-cost promotional offers before pressuring them into unnecessary procedures and high-interest financing arrangements.

DCWP Commissioner Sam Levine stated that the city intends to hold the providers accountable for these practices, which allegedly included signing patients up for medical credit cards with interest rates reaching 26.99% without their explicit consent. The city is seeking a permanent injunction to prevent the providers from practicing dentistry, alongside restitution for affected patients and civil penalties for each identified violation of consumer protection statutes.

One case cited in the legal filing involves an elderly patient who was allegedly pressured into a $15,000 treatment plan for services that remained incomplete a year later, leaving the patient unable to eat solid food. The lawsuit further alleges that the offices frequently misrepresented insurance coverage, often refusing to submit claims to insurers despite advertising that they accepted most plans.

In response to the filing, Canarsie Family Dentistry issued a statement denying the allegations, asserting that the firm has consistently operated in accordance with the law and in the best interest of its patients. New York Family Dentistry did not provide a comment regarding the litigation.

Local officials, including Council Member Mercedes Narcisse, have encouraged residents who believe they were impacted by these practices to contact the DCWP or her office for assistance. The city’s investigation was prompted by a series of complaints submitted to the DCWP, the Legal Aid Society, and the Better Business Bureau.