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How do I report dental malpractice?

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forensicdeac

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Background: My daughter had a dental appointment last month and was given a substantial amount of oral morphine for moderate sedation. She was released home after the procedure and had complications (puking and couldn't keep down food/fluids) to the point we almost went to the ER for an IV. Daughter recovered and is doing very well (as far as I can tell with a 5 yo)

After doing some research and consulting some anesthesia experts, it seems that the dentist overdosed her. I have a suspicion as to the cause.

Question: How do I report this dentist so it doesn't happen to other people? Can a patient report directly to a licensing board? Should a lawyer file a complaint to a board?

Has anyone dealt with something like this before? I am not soliciting medical or legal advice, more of should I seek legal advice.
 
I told you people dentists were no good.
 
my gut is if you want a satisfactory answer or compensation, you need to hire an attorney. Try one that specializes in professional matters in Raleigh. https://www.youngmoorelaw.com/people/attorneys/john-n-nick-fountain/ This guy represented me once when I had a bullshit complaint to get tossed out; no clue if he represents people in claims against professionals.

If you just want him to learn a lesson, report him to the state board and they will create a huge hassle for him before ultimately not doing anything.
 
DeacDiggler said:
my gut is if you want a satisfactory answer or compensation, you need to hire an attorney. Try one that specializes in professional matters in Raleigh. https://www.youngmoorelaw.com/people/attorneys/john-n-nick-fountain/ This guy represented me once when I had a bullshit complaint to get tossed out; no clue if he represents people in claims against professionals.

If you just want him to learn a lesson, report him to the state board and they will create a huge hassle for him before ultimately not doing anything.
Click to expand...

You could also burn his house down.
 
forensicdeac said:
Background: My daughter had a dental appointment last month and was given a substantial amount of oral morphine for moderate sedation. She was released home after the procedure and had complications (puking and couldn't keep down food/fluids) to the point we almost went to the ER for an IV. Daughter recovered and is doing very well (as far as I can tell with a 5 yo)

After doing some research and consulting some anesthesia experts, it seems that the dentist overdosed her. I have a suspicion as to the cause.

Question: How do I report this dentist so it doesn't happen to other people? Can a patient report directly to a licensing board? Should a lawyer file a complaint to a board?

Has anyone dealt with something like this before? I am not soliciting medical or legal advice, more of should I seek legal advice.
Click to expand...

So you didn't actually take her to the ER and you have no record of her condition other than hearsay? I'm not a doctor or a lawyer (or even an accountant), but it's not unusual for people to have side effects from anesthesia, and without any proof that your daughter was in any real danger, I wouldn't expect a state licensing board to do much of anything to punish the dentist. The worst that might happen would be for them to ask how much morphine he gave her, and if he can't give a specific answer, slap him on the hand for bad recordkeeping or something.
 
DeacDiggler said:
my gut is if you want a satisfactory answer or compensation, you need to hire an attorney. Try one that specializes in professional matters in Raleigh. https://www.youngmoorelaw.com/people/attorneys/john-n-nick-fountain/ This guy represented me once when I had a bullshit complaint to get tossed out; no clue if he represents people in claims against professionals.

If you just want him to learn a lesson, report him to the state board and they will create a huge hassle for him before ultimately not doing anything.
Click to expand...

I can't imagine an attorney taking a case with no specials, although I believe forensic lives in CA, and I'm sure it's a different world over there with regard to MM/PI practice.

Here, I would suggest filing a complaint with the licensing board. You're certainly allowed to do it as a patient in SC, but I don't know how it works out there.
 
OldGoldBeard said:
I can't imagine an attorney taking a case with no specials, although I believe forensic lives in CA, and I'm sure it's a different world over there with regard to MM/PI practice.

Here, I would suggest filing a complaint with the licensing board. You're certainly allowed to do it as a patient in SC, but I don't know how it works out there.
Click to expand...

Right. We got lucky and she came through fine. I know exactly how much morphine was given (per the dentist in writing), and have confirmed with a nurse anesthetist and a pediatric anesthesiologist that it was roughly double what she should have been given. I have access to dosing guidelines as well. It seems that it was incompetence (ie not converting lbs to kilograms). Dentist is adamant that his dosing was correct. My biggest fear as it happening again to someone and a kid dying. We were lucky that my wife was so attentive and did not let my daughter go into a deep sleep where aspiration could have occurred and was able to consult a pediatric nurse via video call.
 
forensicdeac said:
Background: My daughter had a dental appointment last month and was given a substantial amount of oral morphine for moderate sedation. She was released home after the procedure and had complications (puking and couldn't keep down food/fluids) to the point we almost went to the ER for an IV. Daughter recovered and is doing very well (as far as I can tell with a 5 yo)

After doing some research and consulting some anesthesia experts, it seems that the dentist overdosed her. I have a suspicion as to the cause.

Question: How do I report this dentist so it doesn't happen to other people? Can a patient report directly to a licensing board? Should a lawyer file a complaint to a board?

Has anyone dealt with something like this before? I am not soliciting medical or legal advice, more of should I seek legal advice.
Click to expand...

https://www.ncdentalboard.org/filing_complaint.htm

Even if the board drags their feet and/or just gives him a slap on the wrist, my guess is just this guy getting notice of a filed complaint will be enough for him to tighten his procedures.
 
Exactly. Also a kilogram of morphine sounds like a lot no matter what you convert it to
 
I wanted to be the pioneer for this kind of thing. I wanted to go to dental school and then go to law school and sue the shit out of dentist all over the country. It's basically an unregulated field at this point. Dental malpractice lawsuits need to catch up. But the field is so protected, it's hard to find someone willing to turn their fellow dentists in for malpractice
 
forensicdeac said:
Right. We got lucky and she came through fine. I know exactly how much morphine was given (per the dentist in writing), and have confirmed with a nurse anesthetist and a pediatric anesthesiologist that it was roughly double what she should have been given. I have access to dosing guidelines as well. It seems that it was incompetence (ie not converting lbs to kilograms). Dentist is adamant that his dosing was correct. My biggest fear as it happening again to someone and a kid dying. We were lucky that my wife was so attentive and did not let my daughter go into a deep sleep where aspiration could have occurred and was able to consult a pediatric nurse via video call.
Click to expand...

I'm a malpractice attorney. Surprisingly, most of the advice in this thread is pretty decent. Reporting the dentist to the Board of Dentistry makes the most sense in your situation.
 
forensicdeac said:
Right. We got lucky and she came through fine. I know exactly how much morphine was given (per the dentist in writing), and have confirmed with a nurse anesthetist and a pediatric anesthesiologist that it was roughly double what she should have been given. I have access to dosing guidelines as well. It seems that it was incompetence (ie not converting lbs to kilograms). Dentist is adamant that his dosing was correct. My biggest fear as it happening again to someone and a kid dying. We were lucky that my wife was so attentive and did not let my daughter go into a deep sleep where aspiration could have occurred and was able to consult a pediatric nurse via video call.
Click to expand...

Definitely you and your wife were lucky/smart to be paying such close attention. I was meeting with clients on an aspiration case yesterday, and it is not something to mess around with. Hopefully you're able to file the complaint and the dentist gets the message.
 
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