Mishmeres HaSholom: Ask the Rav

Q:A while ago, a neighbor mentioned to me that she was having extensive dental work done by a certain dentist. I was reminded of a relative who had used him in the past, who felt that he had damaged her teeth. It seemed it was only right to share this information with my neighbor. She listened but didn’t take me seriously and continued her treatment with that dentist. After some time, my neighbor realized that her teeth weren’t being treated properly and would require correction by another dentist, causing her undue financial loss and physical pain.

My questions are:

Regarding the past: Was I permitted to tell my neighbor what I knew about the dentist, or did it constitute lashon hara? If it was lashon hara, how can I rectify my wrong?

For the future: It is likely that I will hear about people — who will not contact me as a reference — who are using said dentist. Should I warn them of his incompetence?

A:I gather that the dentist in question is well known, and that he practices in a popular clinic with no dearth of patients.

Regarding the past, it seems that you shouldn’t have relayed the negative information to your neighbor — your relative’s bad experience with him notwithstanding. This is so because it is common knowledge that every doctor makes mistakes, and that a possibility does not validate passing on negative information. You must repent by feeling remorseful, viduy and kabbalah al ha’asid.

For the future: If, following the neighbor’s treatment, it becomes obvious that the dentist erred, and a different dentist confirms that it was indeed a very bad job, and that any decent  dentist is capable of avoiding such mistakes, then you are permitted to alert a potential patient thereof. You must, however, stress that you heard the information from a neighbor and that you are therefore not vouching for its validity, but only saying it “l’meichash.” You may not make the information public, thereby causing the dentist to lose his livelihood.