Dental Workers' Compensation Evaluations
Dr. Jerome Peterson provides Qualified (QME), Agreed (AME), and Independent (IME) Medical Evaluations of dental, TMJ, and orofacial industrial injuries, and serves as an expert witness — statewide in California, from his Santa Ana office. He has more than 40 years of workers' compensation experience and helped develop the examination every dental QME in California must pass.
The four roles
Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME)
State-certified examinations that resolve disputes in unrepresented and represented workers' compensation cases. Dr. Peterson is credentialed in the dental and orofacial pain specialty — a discipline in which he helped develop the state's QME examination as one of two appointed dental Subject Matter Experts.
Agreed Medical Evaluator (AME)
Where applicant and defense agree on a single evaluator, Dr. Peterson serves as AME. Four decades of work on both sides of the case — applicant and defense — make him an acceptable choice to parties on either side.
Independent Medical Evaluator (IME)
Independent evaluations for carriers, employers, and attorneys outside the QME/AME process — records review, examination, and a clear, defensible opinion on diagnosis, causation, and treatment needs.
Expert Witness
Expert consultation and testimony in dental, TMJ, and orofacial pain matters — including industrial injury causation, standard of care, and future dental treatment needs.
What the evaluation covers
Reports are prepared to the standards of the California workers' compensation system and address, as applicable:
- Diagnosis of dental, TMJ, and orofacial conditions
- Causation — injury arising out of and in the course of employment (AOE/COE)
- Permanent and stationary status and impairment rating where indicated
- Apportionment
- Need for future dental treatment — TMJ care, restorations, reconstruction
- Work restrictions and responses to the parties' questions
How to refer a case
Call (949) 558-3001, fax(949) 558-0089, or use the referral form.
For QME referrals, include the panel selection letter and claim information; for an AME, the parties' written agreement. The office will confirm scheduling and provide a records checklist — claims history, dental and medical records, imaging, prior reports, and the injury description.
Dr. Peterson also treats what he evaluates: injured workers with accepted claims — including patients awarded future dental treatment — can be referred directly for industrial injury treatment.
Evaluation questions, answered
What is a dental QME?
A Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME) is a physician or dentist certified by the California Division of Workers’ Compensation to examine injured workers and resolve disputes in workers’ compensation cases. A dental QME evaluates dental, TMJ, and orofacial industrial injuries and issues a formal med-legal report. Dr. Peterson is a California QME — and was one of two dentists statewide appointed as a Subject Matter Expert in developing the dental QME examination itself.
How do I arrange an evaluation with Dr. Peterson?
Call the office at (949) 558-3001 or fax the referral to (949) 558-0089. For a QME, include the panel selection letter and the injured worker’s claim information. For an AME, both parties confirm the agreement in writing. For an IME or expert engagement, contact the office to discuss scope. The office will confirm scheduling and tell you exactly what records to provide.
What records should be provided before the evaluation?
Provide the claims history, all relevant dental and medical records, prior diagnostic imaging and reports, the injury description (AOE/COE), and any prior med-legal reports or depositions. Complete records before the examination allow for a thorough, well-supported report.
What does the evaluation report address?
As applicable to the referral: diagnosis; causation (AOE/COE); whether the condition is permanent and stationary; impairment rating where indicated; apportionment; work restrictions; the need for future dental treatment — including TMJ treatment, restorations, and reconstruction — and responses to the parties’ specific questions.
Does Dr. Peterson serve as an AME?
Yes. Where both parties agree, Dr. Peterson serves as an Agreed Medical Evaluator for dental and TMJ industrial injuries. He has been retained by applicants and defense alike over four decades of workers’ compensation practice.
Does Dr. Peterson perform IMEs and expert witness work?
Yes. He performs Independent Medical Evaluations and serves as an expert witness in dental, TMJ, and orofacial pain matters, including testimony. Contact the office to discuss the engagement.
Can future dental treatment needs be evaluated?
Yes. Dr. Peterson regularly evaluates and treats patients who have been awarded future dental treatment, and his reports address the nature and extent of future dental care an industrial injury will require.