The Office of the Attorney General has reached a settlement with a pediatric dentist in Springfield, returning $500,000 to the state’s Medicaid program (MassHealth) and resolving claims that the dentist improperly billed the program for services.

Dr. Annie Watson, DDS, and her dental practice, Gentle Smiles LLC, improperly billed MassHealth for palliative care between March 2010 and June 2013, and failed to comply with MassHealth rules associated with the use of that emergency treatment billing code.

The AG’s Office began an investigation into Watson and Gentle Smiles upon a referral from MassHealth, which identified Watson as the top biller of the palliative care code among all MassHealth dental providers.

Palliative care is the emergency treatment of dental pain that relieves the pain but is not curative and can include draining of an abscess or prescribing pain medication or antibiotics. In order to bill this code, the patient’s dental record must contain a description of the treatment provided and must document that the treatment was given on an emergency basis.

The AG’s investigation revealed that Watson routinely billed for palliative care without any supporting documentation, including when patients only received cleanings and x-rays.

Under the terms of the civil settlement, Watson and her business will pay MassHealth $500,000 as restitution for improper billing. The settlement also requires that Watson and her employees review and comply with all applicable state and federal statutes, and all regulations governing participation in MassHealth.