(By Dr. Joseph D. Lim and Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI)
A WOMAN has sued her dentist after receiving four root canals, eight dental crowns and 20 fillings – all in one visit to the dental clinic.
In a lawsuit asking for at least $50,000 in damages, Kathleen Wilson claimed the procedures disfigured her facial features, The Associated Press reported.
Ms. Wilson said that the procedures were costly and she suffered pain, embarrassment, disfigurement and distress, the news agency reported.
The lawsuit was filed in December last year in Hennepin County District Court against Dr. Kevin Molldrem of Molldrem Family Dentistry in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
According to the Star Tribune newspaper, Dr. Molldrem was accused of providing in July 2020 negligent treatment that caused significant injuries to Ms. Wilson, along with providing an unsafe dosage of anesthesia and falsifying medical records to cover it up.
The Associated Press cited the newspaper report that Ms. Wilson’s legal team asked for expert opinion from Dr. Avrum Goldstein, a dentist in Florida who reviewed Ms. Wilson’s medical records.
Dr. Goldstein said that Ms. Wilson had decay on “virtually every tooth in her mouth, something that is quite rare.” He said that Dr. Molldrem’s attempt to restore all of Ms. Wilson’s teeth in one visit did nothing to address her susceptibility to disease or the potential of losing teeth, The Associated Press reported.
“Katie required a slow, thoughtful, careful and measured response to her disease. Trying to fill every hole in every tooth in her mouth in one visit is not only the antithesis of what was indicated, it is not humanely possible to achieve in an effective or constructive manner,” Dr. Goldstein was reported as saying, adding that it is “inconceivable” to address 28 teeth in five and a half hours.
Dr. Goldstein observed that in 2022 Ms. Wilson underwent treatment at the University of Minnesota Dental School “for repair and replacement of many of her restorations in an attempt to stabilize her mouth.”
If all of Ms. Wilson’s teeth ended up having to be removed and replaced with implants, “all of the work that was done and all of the expense associated with it will have been for nothing,” The Associated Press reported Dr. Goldstein as saying
***
Dr. Joseph D. Lim, Ed. D., is the former Associate Dean of the College of Dentistry, University of the East; former Dean, College of Dentistry, National University; Past President and Honorary Fellow of the Asian Oral Implant Academy; Honorary Fellow of the Japan College of Oral Implantologists; Honorary Life Member of the Thai Association of Dental Implantology; and Founding Chairman of the Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail jdlim2008@gmail.com or text 0917-8591515.
***
Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI, graduated Doctor of Dental Medicine, University of the Philippines, College of Dentistry, Manila, 2011; Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management, De la Salle University, Manila, 2002; and Master of Science (MSc.) in Oral Implantology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, 2019. He is an Associate Professor; Fellow, International Congress of Oral Implantologists; Member, American Academy of Implant Dentistry and Fellow, Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail limdentalcenter@gmail.com./PN
