Attorney General Ellison reaches settlement with defunct dental clinic that will enable consumers to obtain refunds

Woodbury Dental Arts shut down in March 2024 and filed for bankruptcy, abandoning patients with unfinished treatments

Settlement will enable consumers to obtain refunds of fees they paid for dental services that were not provided from newly created Consumer Protection Restitution Account

Marko Kamel, former dentist and owner of Woodbury Dental Arts, also surrenders his dental license in settlement with Minnesota Board of Dentistry

November 7, 2025 (SAINT PAUL) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced today that his office has reached a settlement with the Chapter 7 Trustee for the Bankruptcy Estate of Woodbury Dental Arts, a former Woodbury dental clinic owned and operated by Marko Kamel. The settlement enables harmed consumers to obtain refunds of the fees they paid in advance for dental services that were never provided.

 In November 2023, the Minnesota Board of Dentistry temporarily suspended Kamel's dental license based on a probable-cause determination that his treatment of two patients violated the Board's practice act and that his continued practice would present an imminent risk of serious harm. The Attorney General’s Office alleges that Kamel and Woodbury Dental Arts deceived and defrauded patients by misrepresenting and concealing Kamel’s ineligibility to practice and continuing to collect tens of thousands of dollars in upfront fees from patients for services they failed to provide. 

In March 2024, just days before the Board imposed final discipline against his license, Kamel promptly shut down the clinic without providing notice to patients, abandoning hundreds of patients and leaving many with unfinished treatment for dental implant services. Kamel and Woodbury Dental Arts failed to refund patients, leaving many in debt and worse off than if they had they never sought treatment in the first place. Woodbury Dental Arts filed for bankruptcy in March 2024, leaving patients without a path to recover the substantial fees they paid. 

Attorney General Ellison’s Office alleges that Kamel and Woodbury Dental Arts violated the Prevention of Consumer Fraud Act and Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

The settlement permits consumers to obtain refunds from the newly created Consumer Protection Restitution Account in the Attorney General’s Office. Consumer Protection Restitution Account (CPRA), which the Minnesota Legislature created earlier this year upon Attorney General Ellison’s request, is a fund that, among other things, is available to refund consumers who were harmed by companies that have gone bankrupt or for some other reason are unable to make consumers whole.

Before the CPRA was established, the Attorney General Office’s was required to deposit civil penalties the State recovered in consumer-protection settlements or restitution dollars that could not reasonably be distributed to consumers into the State’s General Fund. Under the new law, the Attorney General may deposit recovered funds into the CPRA and distribute them to scam or fraud victims who cannot receive restitution from the entity that cheated them. Because Woodbury Dental Arts filed for bankruptcy, former patients would have been unable to obtain refunds without today’s settlement and without the creation of the CPRA. 

The Attorney General’s Office will establish a claims process for former patients of Woodbury Dental Arts to obtain refunds and will alert the public when it is ready to accept claims. The Office is currently working to identify patients who may be entitled to refunds and will contact impacted consumers.         

In addition to the settlement, last month Marko Kamel entered a stipulation and order with the Board of Dentistry in which he agreed to surrender his dental license. Under the Order, Kamel is prohibited from practicing dentistry in Minnesota. If he wants to practice in the future, he must wait a minimum of 10 years before applying for reinstatement and if he then applies for a new license, must pay a $500,000 civil penalty and demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that he is capable of practicing competently and safely. The State of California, where Kamel was also licensed to practice dentistry, revoked his license in May 2025. 

“All too often, when we catch scammers, they don’t have money left to pay back the people they cheated,” said Attorney General Ellison. “That almost happened when Woodbury Dental Arts abruptly closed up shop and declared bankruptcy after accepting downpayments for costly dental procedures they would never provide. Fortunately, Minnesota’s new Consumer Protection Restitution Account gives my office the ability to put money back in the pockets of scam victims if the scammer themselves is unable to pay. I’m glad we can compensate those Minnesotans who lost so much when Woodbury Dental Arts shut its doors. 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. I’m grateful to everyone who helped make this happen, from the legislators who got the CPRA signed into law to our partners on the Board of Dentistry to the Chapter 7 trustee whose commitment to getting people their money back was unwavering. This is a good day for people wronged by Woodbury Dental Arts, and for Minnesotans overall now that the CPRA is up and running and ready to support scam victims.”

“The Board’s disciplinary action against Mr. Kamel’s license reaffirms the Board’s unfailing commitment to promoting and protecting public health and safety in dentistry for all Minnesotans. The Board’s decision ensures accountability for violations of state law while safeguarding the public interest for years to come,” said Bridgett Anderson, Executive Director of the Minnesota Board of Dentistry. “And while the surrender of Mr. Kamel’s license marks a resolution of the Board’s licensing matter, the Board is pleased that the continuing work of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and his team may afford patients an opportunity to seek compensation.”

Attorney General Ellison encourages anyone who believes they may be entitled to a refund under the settlement with Woodbury Dental Arts to contact the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office by calling (651) 296-3353 (Metro area) or (800) 657-3787 (Greater Minnesota), or by submitting a complaint on the Attorney General’s website.

The Minnesota Board of Dentistry licenses and has authority to regulate dentists in Minnesota.  The Board has authority to investigate dentist conduct and take enforcement action against dentists who engage in unprofessional or unethical conduct, including substandard care.  Attorney General Ellison encourages anyone who has concerns about their dentist to contact the Board as follows:

Minnesota Board of Dentistry
335 Randolph Avenue, Suite 250
Saint Paul MN 55102
(612) 617-2250
https://mn.gov/boards/dentistry
dental.board@state.mn.us