Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in Pennsylvania

Have you tried writing your former dentist and providing proof of your payment?

Assuming that your dentist still has this account, then get a copy of your check from your bank showing the payment (I hope that you paid by check and not in cash; if you paid in cash, I hope that you got a receipt). Write to the dentist's billing department, dispute the excess charges and attach a copy of your proof of payment for the services and explain that payment was never credited and for the dentist to give you credit and mark your account as paid in full. Have the office update your credit report to remove derogatory information.

Why do you need the paperwork if you already paid? To the extent the dentist still claims that you owe, I would put in the letter that if the dentist still claims added monies are owed, then to send an itemized statement reflecting dates of treatment, services rendered, and application of any credits, and then show a balance if one is owed.

If this is a collection agency, do much the same thing. See what kind of response, if any you get. Check your credit report to make sure that nothing is on there about this debt.

If they refuse, then you can add a 100 word statement to your credit report about this debt. You can sue if erroneous information is on your credit report, but there are time limits and it would help if you had damages (as in you only qualified for a higher interest rate because of the existence of this information/unpaid account).

You do not indicate when you got service and when you paid. If the service was more than 4 years ago, then the dentist cannot sue you and in another few years, the debt is going to drop off your report.