Being a dentist, a lot of people are expecting you to do your job righteously and giving the proper care and treatment to patients without making a mistake. But in the case of a dentist in Carrollton, Texas who did a mistake that puts him in a bad situation. The dentist was disciplined by the Texas Board of Dental, in which he failed to hire a dental attorney.
It was on or about October 14, 2015, a patient was presented to the dentist for a new patient exam. The patient had dental anxiety and requested treatment under sedation. On or about November 3,
2015, the dentist conducted a deep cleaning while the patient was under sedation. The patient requested further treatment under sedation.
On or about December 29, 2015, the patient received further treatment from the dentist under intravenous sedation. The treatment included numerous teeth extractions, bone grafting at site number 7 and site number 10, and a temporary bridge from teeth numbers 6 to 11.
On or about February 19, 2016, the patient returned and received additional extensive treatment from the dentist such as a tooth extraction at site number 9, bone grafting at site number 9, and numerous cavity fillings. A doctor performed the sedation prior to the procedure. Records reveal that the patient was sedated for approximately eight and one-half hours.
On or about October 12, 2016, the patient returned to the dentist’s office for an exam and cleaning. X-rays were obtained. The x-rays revealed that tooth number 3 had a slightly open margin at the distal box/cave surface, tooth number 12 showed a large amount of excess resin at the distal, tooth number 29 had likely decay remaining at the occlusal, and distal box floor/cave surface and tooth number 31 had an open margin at the mesial box/floor cave surface.
And on or about May 1, 2017, the Board received a complaint from the patient’s father. The complaint alleged that the dentist overbilled his son for an excessive amount and for treatment never received. The Board obtained the patient’s records. The records reflect the dentist estimated the anesthesia for the February 19, 2016 treatment to be $5,000.00 but charged the patient $8,750.00. The dentist charged $295.00 for buildup on tooth number 9, which was subsequently removed. The dentist charged $600.00 on December 29, 2015, but the bill did not clearly list the tooth associated with the procedure. The dentist then provided an estimate of $2,000.00 for the temporary bridge placed on December 15, 2015, but later charged the patient $4,245.00. And charged two separate fees for tooth number 2 totaling $520.00, two separate fees for tooth number 4 totaling $495.00, two separate fees for tooth number 20 totaling $470.00, two separate fees for tooth number 21 totaling $495.00, and two separate fees for tooth number 29 totaling $495.00.
As a result of the above incidents, the dentist was subjected to disciplinary action due to being negligent in the care and treatment of the patient and obtaining fees by fraud or misinterpretation like charging excessive amounts for treatment received by patients. This unprofessional conduct has put the dentist into disciplinary action ordered by Board. But before anything else, prior to facing the Board or the court, the dentist was given the right of legal counsel but the dentist failed to hire a dental attorney who knows how to deal with such a case.
A dental attorney helps dentists on any legal matters. So if you wish for legal advice or a consultation, never hesitate in reaching out to Dental Attorney Yong J. An, one of the best dental defense attorneys there is in Texas. You can contact him 24/7