A recent data breach involving the computer systems of Great Expressions Dental Centers (GEDC) compromised the records of more than 500 Michigan patients. GEDC operates almost 350 dental practices in 10 states, including New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, making it one of the largest dental services organizations (DSOs) in the country.

GEDC’s website explains: “We initially identified the incident when we experienced unusual activity on our systems, and we immediately took steps to secure our systems, launched an investigation with the assistance of a third-party forensic investigator, and notified law enforcement. The investigation determined that an unauthorized party accessed some of our systems between February 17, 2023 and February 22, 2023, and may have accessed or removed some files.” The information affected by the breach was different for each patient, but included names, birth dates, personal mailing and contact information, social security numbers, license numbers, credit card and financial information, medical and dental history information, and diagnostic and treatment plan information.

GEDC began the process of notifying affected patients on May 12 and recommends that patients review all statements to identify and report any unauthorized activity.