Patient transfers can be an absolute minefield for dental providers. A common scenario involves a frustrated parent who wants their child’s traditional braces removed early to switch to clear aligners under your care. While every patient has the right to change providers, jumping into these cases without a strict protocol creates major clinical and legal risks.When a transfer patient walks through your doors, you only see their current oral state. You cannot safely determine if teeth have been moved outside the bone, if there is underlying root resorption, or if compliance was the true issue without reviewing the original diagnostic files. This is why obtaining the prior doctor’s records, treatment plan, and progress notes is an absolute standard of care. In the United States, patients have a legal right to these files, so the burden should be placed on the family to request them before you quote a price or build a plan.Your intake workflow must remain rigid. Start by taking a completely new, comprehensive set of records, including an eight-series photo set and a fresh panoramic radiograph or CBCT. Concurrently, ensure the patient signs a formal release form alongside the official AAO transfer form. This document alerts the previous orthodontist and establishes a clean break in liability.Never debond the existing hardware until all records are reviewed, the new financial contract is signed, and a realistic treatment plan is established. Finally, if your initial scans reveal severe root issues or major complications from the previous treatment, do not accept the case. Protect your practice by referring these high-risk transfers directly to an established orthodontist or a university residency program.