Aspen Dental Lawsuit, Settlement, Eligibility & Status

Quick Facts

• Lawsuit type: Consumer privacy class action
• Defendant: Aspen Dental Management, Inc.
• Case name: Donnelly, et al. v. Aspen Dental Management, Inc., Case No. 2025LA000036
• Settlement amount: $18.7 million
• Status: Final approval granted October 20, 2025 — payments in distribution
• Claim deadline: September 15, 2025 — now closed
• Official settlement website: aspendentalpixelsettlement.com

What Is the Aspen Dental Lawsuit About?

A class action lawsuit filed against Aspen Dental Management, Inc. alleged that the company used tracking pixel technology on its website to collect sensitive personal information from visitors and share it with third parties — including Meta (Facebook) and Google — without their knowledge or consent. The lawsuit alleged this practice violated multiple state and federal privacy laws. Aspen Dental denies any wrongdoing. The company agreed to a settlement of $18.7 million to resolve the claims. The claim deadline has passed, and payments to eligible class members are now in the distribution process.

What Is the Aspen Dental Lawsuit About?

The litigation arose from allegations that Aspen Dental disclosed information about its website visitors to third parties — including Meta Platforms (Facebook) and Google — via tracking pixels and other tracking technologies installed on its website, AspenDental.com. Tracking pixels are tiny, invisible pieces of code embedded in websites that can send user data to outside companies when a page loads or a form is submitted.

Plaintiffs alleged that when consumers booked dental appointments online, their personal and health-related information was transmitted to advertising platforms without their permission. Allegations in the lawsuit include negligence and violations of the Florida Security of Communications Act, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the California Invasion of Privacy Act, the Pennsylvania Wiretap Act, and the California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act.

Is This a Class Action Lawsuit?

Yes. The settlement includes two subclasses totaling more than two million individuals. In a class action, one group of plaintiffs sues on behalf of everyone who experienced the same alleged harm. All class members are bound by the outcome unless they opted out before the deadline.

The class covers anyone who made an appointment on AspenDental.com either between February 20, 2022 and June 1, 2023 (Group 1) or between June 2, 2023 and January 1, 2025 (Group 2). Multiple related lawsuits were originally filed separately and later consolidated into this single action.

Legal Claims Explained

The lawsuit advanced several legal theories, explained in plain terms below.

Unauthorized disclosure of personal data: Plaintiffs alleged Aspen Dental sent their private information — including health-related data tied to dental appointments — to advertising companies without asking for permission. State wiretapping and privacy laws in several states prohibit this kind of interception or sharing of communications.

Negligence: Plaintiffs alleged Aspen Dental had a duty to handle their personal information responsibly and failed to do so by installing tracking tools that shared data with outside parties.

Violation of state privacy statutes: The complaint cited laws in California, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Illinois that restrict how companies can collect and share consumer communications and health-related data. These statutes were originally written to protect telephone and electronic communications, but courts have applied them in cases involving web tracking technology.

Aspen Dental denied all of these claims. No court or other judicial body made any judgment or determination that Aspen Dental did anything wrong. The company settled to avoid the expense and uncertainty of continued litigation.

Lawsuit Status

On June 17, 2025, Circuit Judge Gail L. Noll granted preliminary approval of the class action settlement in Donnelly v. Aspen Dental Management, Inc. The claim deadline for eligible class members was September 15, 2025. That deadline has now passed — new claims are no longer being accepted.

The final approval hearing was held October 20, 2025. Final approval was granted. Per the settlement agreement, Aspen Dental was required to fund the settlement after January 1, 2026 and no later than January 31, 2026. If funding occurred on January 15, 2026, the settlement administrator was required to issue payments to valid claimants by no later than March 16, 2026.

If you submitted a valid claim before September 15, 2025, your payment should be in the process of distribution. Contact the settlement administrator if you have not received your payment.

Settlement Details

According to court documents, there are approximately 621,370 individuals in Group 1 and 1,625,000 individuals in Group 2.

Group 1 — Booked an appointment on AspenDental.com between February 20, 2022, and June 1, 2023. There is approximately $2.7 million available for valid claims from this group. After deducting notice and administration costs, attorneys’ fees and service awards, the remaining funds will be distributed on a pro rata basis among all valid claimants in Group 1. The exact payment per person depends on the total number of valid claims.

Group 2 — Booked an appointment between June 2, 2023, and January 1, 2025. Aspen Dental agreed to pay up to approximately $16,000,000 for valid claims made by Group 2 class members, in an amount of up to $15.00, unless subject to pro rata reduction depending on the number of valid claims.

Settlement administrator: Simpluris Contact: (844) 496-0570 | [email protected] Mailing address: Donnelly, et al. v. Aspen Dental Management, Inc., c/o Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 25226, Santa Ana, CA 92799

Other Aspen Dental Legal Actions

The pixel tracking settlement is not the only legal matter involving Aspen Dental. In January 2023, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office reached a $3.5 million settlement with Aspen Dental Management resolving claims that the dental chain allegedly deceived thousands of Massachusetts consumers through deceptive advertising. That matter is separate from the pixel tracking class action and involved different allegations about billing and advertising practices.

Consumers with concerns about Aspen Dental practices unrelated to the pixel tracking case — such as billing disputes or treatment recommendations — may contact their state attorney general’s consumer protection office or the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/complaint. For a broader overview of how consumer class actions work, see our related article on Class Action Lawsuits Explained.

What This Means for Consumers

The Aspen Dental settlement reflects a broader wave of privacy lawsuits against healthcare providers over the use of tracking technology on patient-facing websites. The settlement mandates injunctive relief, including the removal or reconfiguration of tracking pixels to ensure compliance with privacy standards. This means Aspen Dental committed to changing its practices — not just paying into a fund.

Consumers who book appointments with any healthcare provider online should be aware that websites may use tracking tools. You can check a website’s privacy policy to understand what data is collected and with whom it may be shared. If you believe a company has handled your personal or health information improperly, you can file a complaint with your state attorney general or the FTC.

Key Dates

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a class action lawsuit? 

Yes. Donnelly v. Aspen Dental Management, Inc. is a certified class action. It covers more than two million people who booked dental appointments on AspenDental.com between February 20, 2022, and January 1, 2025. All eligible class members who filed timely claims are included.

Has a settlement been approved? 

Yes. The court granted final approval on October 20, 2025. The $18.7 million settlement is fully approved. No further court action is required before payments are distributed to eligible class members who submitted valid claims.

Who may be eligible?

 Consumers who booked an appointment on AspenDental.com between February 20, 2022, and January 1, 2025, were potentially eligible. The claim deadline was September 15, 2025, and has now passed. Consumers who did not file by that date are no longer eligible to receive a payment.

Is a claim form required to receive payment?

 Yes. Class members were required to submit a valid claim form by September 15, 2025 to receive a payment. Class members who did not submit a form by that deadline are not eligible to receive settlement funds, even if they otherwise qualify.

Where is the official settlement website?

 The official settlement website is aspendentalpixelsettlement.com. For questions, contact Simpluris at (844) 496-0570 or [email protected].

I filed a claim — when will I receive payment? 

Per the settlement agreement, Aspen Dental was required to fund the settlement by January 31, 2026. Payments to valid claimants were scheduled to be distributed by approximately March 16, 2026. Contact the settlement administrator at (844) 496-0570 if you have not received your payment.

What happens if I missed the deadline? 

The September 15, 2025 deadline was firm. Class members who did not submit a claim form by that date cannot receive a payment from this settlement. If you have a separate individual privacy claim, consult a consumer privacy attorney for guidance.

Did Aspen Dental admit wrongdoing? 

No. Aspen Dental denied all claims throughout the litigation. The company agreed to settle to avoid the cost and uncertainty of continued litigation. No court made a finding that Aspen Dental violated any law.

Last Updated: February 27, 2026

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Legal claims and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. For advice regarding a particular situation, consult a qualified attorney. Always verify eligibility and deadlines on official settlement or case websites before filing a claim.

About the Author

Sarah Klein, JD, is a licensed attorney and legal content strategist with over 12 years of experience across civil, criminal, family, and regulatory law. At All About Lawyer, she covers a wide range of legal topics — from high-profile lawsuits and courtroom stories to state traffic laws and everyday legal questions — all with a focus on accuracy, clarity, and public understanding.
Her writing blends real legal insight with plain-English explanations, helping readers stay informed and legally aware.
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