You Think Someone on Your Team Is Stealing. Now What?
That suspicion — the one that's been quietly eating at you — is one of the worst feelings a practice owner can have. You built your practice. You trusted these people. And now something doesn't add up.
You are not alone. Studies consistently show that more than 70% of dentists will experience employee theft at some point in their careers. The average embezzler steals over $100,000 before being caught, and the typical scheme runs undetected for nearly two years. The financial damage is real — but so is the emotional toll.
This is exactly the moment to call Prosperident.
Dental Embezzlement Investigation: Why This Is Not a DIY Problem
When you suspect that a staff member — your office manager, a front desk employee, or perhaps someone you have trusted for years — is stealing from your practice, the instinct to investigate yourself is understandable. But a self-guided investigation carries serious risks:
- Tipping off the suspect can cause evidence to disappear and money to be moved.
- A wrongful accusation without documented proof exposes you to significant legal liability.
- An incomplete investigation leaves you not knowing the full scope of what was taken, by whom, or for how long.
- Improper termination without a properly documented investigation can result in wrongful dismissal claims.
Prosperident's forensic investigators have conducted dental embezzlement investigations since 1989. We know exactly what to look for, where to look, and — critically — how to do it without alerting anyone in your practice that we are involved.
What Our Dental Forensic Investigation Involves
Every engagement begins with a confidential consultation. We listen, ask the right questions, and help you understand what the next steps look like before you commit to anything. From there, a Prosperident certified fraud examiner takes ownership of your case.
Our forensic audit of your dental practice typically includes:
Transaction-Level Data Analysis We perform a comprehensive forensic accounting review of your practice management software — whether you use Dentrix, Eaglesoft, Open Dental, Curve Dental, Softdent, or another platform. We examine financial transactions, adjustment logs, deleted entries, payment records, and deposit histories to identify discrepancies that point to internal theft.
Reconciliation and Collections Review We compare what your practice should have collected against what was actually deposited, identifying the gap that embezzlers rely on going unnoticed.
Pattern and Behavioral Analysis Our examiners — all of whom have worked inside dental practices before joining Prosperident — know the specific methods dental staff use to manipulate practice management software, skim cash, redirect insurance payments, and exploit the structural gaps that exist in most dental offices. We recognize these patterns because we have seen them hundreds of times.
Documentation for Legal and Insurance Purposes Our investigation produces a detailed written report that documents what was stolen, how, and by whom. This report is specifically designed to support employee termination, police reports, insurance claims, civil recovery proceedings, and — when warranted — criminal prosecution.
Recommendations to Prevent Recurrence Every investigation concludes with specific, actionable recommendations to close the vulnerabilities in your practice systems that allowed the theft to occur. We do not just find the problem — we help you make sure it cannot happen again.
Complete Discretion: Your Staff Will Not Know We Are Involved
One of the most common concerns practice owners raise is this: "What if my staff finds out I'm investigating them?"
Our investigations are designed to be entirely covert. We work remotely, using data you provide us, and we do not enter your practice or interact with your team. Your staff — including the individual you suspect — will have no indication that a forensic investigation is underway. This protects the integrity of the evidence and eliminates the risk of confrontation or retaliation before you are ready to act.
What Happens After the Investigation?
Once our forensic audit is complete, we walk with you through every step of what comes next:
- Terminating the employee in a legally defensible manner
- Filing a police report and working with law enforcement
- Engaging your employee dishonesty insurance carrier to pursue recovery
- Pursuing civil remedies to recover stolen funds
- Implementing the internal controls necessary to protect your practice going forward
You will not be navigating this alone. Prosperident has guided hundreds of dentists through this process, and we know what works and what does not.
Why Dentists Across North America Choose Prosperident
35+ years of exclusive focus. Prosperident has worked exclusively in dental embezzlement since 1989. We do not split our attention between industries — every case, every examiner, every process is built around the specific way dental practices operate.
The largest dedicated dental fraud investigation team in existence. Our team of more than twenty U.S. and Canadian certified fraud examiners all have prior careers inside dental practices. They understand your software, your workflows, and the specific methods dental embezzlers use — because they have encountered them across hundreds of cases.
Rigorous quality control. Every report in which we identify embezzlement is personally reviewed by our CEO before it reaches you. That standard of accountability is uncommon in forensic investigation and reflects the seriousness with which we approach your case.
Fast engagement. We can typically begin work on your case within one business day of being retained. When you suspect theft is ongoing, speed matters.
Endorsed by state dental associations. Prosperident is the endorsed dental embezzlement investigation firm for dental associations in Michigan, South Carolina, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana — organizations that vet their endorsed partners carefully.
You May Be Wondering…
"What if I'm wrong and no one is stealing?" A finding of no embezzlement is a genuinely good outcome. You gain documented peace of mind, and we will still identify any vulnerabilities in your systems that, left unaddressed, could make you a future target. Many of our clients tell us the investigation was worth it for that alone.
"Will this cost me a lot?" The cost of an investigation is almost always a fraction of what has been stolen. And the longer theft continues undetected, the greater the loss — and the harder recovery becomes. The average embezzler steals $109,000 over nearly two years. The cost of delay is typically far higher than the cost of investigation.
"Can I just confront my employee myself?" We strongly advise against this. Confrontation without documented evidence typically causes the suspect to destroy records, return stolen funds in ways that make recovery impossible, or file a claim against you for wrongful accusation. Let us build the case first.
Take the First Step
The fact that you are reading this page means your instincts are already telling you something is wrong. Trust them — and let Prosperident take it from here.
A confidential, no-obligation conversation with one of our dental embezzlement investigators costs you nothing. We will listen, tell you honestly what we see, and explain what your options are. There is no pressure and no commitment required.
We will walk with you through the next critical steps to confirm what is happening, ensure that legal employee termination, maximum recovery of stolen funds, and proper entry into the justice system take place. As part of our investigation, we help you understand the details of what happened and how the embezzlement occurred.
And most important, our forensic audits for dentists are stealthy, which means that no one but you needs to know we are on the job.
We will also make both verbal and written recommendations for you to put in place to minimize any further damage and lessen the likelihood of being victimized again in the future.
