Woman sues dentist after receiving four root canals, eight crowns and twenty fillings in one visit
A Minnesota woman who said she received four root canals, eight dental crowns and 20 fillings in one visit to a dental office has sued him for negligence, claiming he caused her disfigurement.
The patient, Kathleen Wilson, of Hennepin County, Minnesota, filed the lawsuit in district court against Dr. Kevin Molldrem of Molldrem Family Dentistry in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, for the July 2020 visit that she said caused her significant damage. injuries.
Ms. Wilson said in the legal complaint that she had lost income because of the dental work and had suffered “pain and suffering, shame, emotional distress and disfigurement” as a result. It is not clear from the lawsuit what Ms. Wilson’s occupation is.
A lawyer for Ms. Wilson did not respond to a request for further comment. Dr. Molldrem, who is representing himself in the case, according to the complaint, did not respond to a request for comment.
It says on his website Dr. Molldrem said he opened his practice in Eden Prairie, Minnesota “to provide others with the kind of dental care I would want for my own family.”
According to the lawsuit, Ms. Wilson received dental care from Dr. Molldrem.
During one of those visits, Dr. Molldrem eight crowns, four root canals and 20 restorations, “performing this work improperly,” according to the complaint.
Ms Wilson also alleged that the dentist had “provided an amount of anesthesia well in excess of the recommended dosage” and that he had falsified medical records about the amount of anesthesia given to her.
“This negligent work substantially caused significant injuries” to Ms. Wilson, the lawsuit said, noting that the dentist failed to “devise a plan of care that would effectively address tooth decay and tooth dissolution.”
Ms. Wilson’s legal team hired Dr. Avrum Goldstein, a dentist in Naples, Florida, to review her dental work and provide an expert opinion in a nine-page affidavit filed in November.
His report noted various derelictions of Dr. Molldrem, such as attempting to restore all her teeth in one visit. Nearly all of Ms. Wilson’s teeth showed decay or erosion, his report said.
“Restoring all of her teeth does not reduce her susceptibility to her disease, the likelihood that it will continue, and the possibility that her teeth will be lost,” Dr. wrote. Goldstein.
He added that completing so much dental work “in one visit is impossible if each of these procedures is done properly.”
After her last visit to Dr. Molldrem in July 2020, Ms. Wilson went several times to another dental office, Lake Minnetonka Dental in Wayzata, Minnesota, to be treated for lost dental restorations and recurring tooth decay, Dr. wrote. Goldstein in his report.
Ms. Wilson also received treatment at the University of Minnesota Dental School between May and September 2022 to repair and replace the restorations “in an effort to stabilize her mouth,” the report said.
Ms. Wilson is seeking more than $50,000 in damages, according to the lawsuit.
The American Dental Association declined to comment on the case.
“The American Dental Association is aware of recent news reports and cannot comment as the association does not have all the specific details and facts of the case,” Corinne Racine, a spokeswoman for the organization, said in an emailed statement sent statement. “Dentists must use their best professional judgment in all treatment decisions. Patient safety and comfort are of the utmost importance.”
Amanda Holpuch reporting contributed.