Speedy service not always good service in dentistry

BRIAN SODOMA
SPECIAL TO LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Posted: Dec. 2, 2012 | 7:43 p.m.

We all love speedy service. But we shouldn't when it comes to our dental care. In tough times, all service industries are forced to watch expenses and get the most out of staff. Dental offices, unfortunately, are no exception. But a quick cleaning could mean cut corners and oral health problems down the road.

John Hunt, attorney for the Nevada State Board of Dental Examiners, has seen firsthand how the economy has affected dental offices. Unnecessary dental work is at a "rampant" level in the valley, he says. It's the primary concern he deals with among the thousands of annual complaints that come into the board of dental examiners either as phone calls or in writing.

Hunt notes there are far fewer complaints about hygienists than dentists. But that's not to say they don't exist. And many patients may not realize the care they received wasn't satisfactory until long after it happened, usually after trying a new dental office some six months later.

"That's how you hear about it," he says. "They (patients) go to someone else and it's a case of 'They did what?' "

Hunt highlighted a recent case in which a hygienist had a license taken away after admitting to doing 36 root paling and scaling procedures in a day. The standard, per the board of dental examiners, is 45 minutes to 60 minutes for one paling and scaling procedure.

Is Chad Hoecker and Ocean Dental getting a piece of the Texas orthodontic pie?

Ocean Dental and Sun Orthodontix are right next door in Corpus.

Ocean Dental in Corpus Christi, Texas:
http://www.dexknows.com/business_profiles/ocean_dental_corpus_christi-l902708722

Sun Orthodontix in Corpus Christi, TX:
http://www.dexknows.com/business_profiles/sun_orthodontix-l906080244

.Dr "Bad" Chad Hoecker's operation is Ocean Dental.

Dr Jack Vondrack is owner of the Orthodontix outfits

Feds raid Georgia children’s dental office over accusations of child endangerment–improper use of restraints

Georgia, being the “Capitol” of corrupt and child abusing dental clinics, the “shit is on” as they say, when officials start raiding clinics in that state. (Yes, I realize Texas and Colorado are alternate choices, but I choose Georgia.)

To each and every dentist working for these dental clinics, such as Kool Smiles, Small Smiles, and a whole host of other “Smiles”, here is the deal:

1. If you spent last week tied children up in papoose boards for dental care, you should drop to your knees in prayer. This is no longer going unnoticed and unreported.

2. There are people out here who are determined to see that you pay dearly for your crimes against children.

Personally, I’d like to see each and everyone of you dentists UNDER the jail – each corporate head, like Al Smiles and Michael Lindley of Small Smiles, Michael and Dan DeRose as well. Jeff Lane and Dale Mayfield, of Kool Smiles - Drs. Tran and Pham too. Each and every “regional manger” should be horse whipped in my opinion.

3. Monday, when you head in to work, you better think long and hard before you try to meet those production goals - really long and really hard. This is just a wild guess, but I bet you are someone’s “list”, and it’s not Santa’s “Nice” list either. In case you need a refresher on the AAPD guidelines here they are – AAPD Guideline on Behavior Guidance  (yeah, I realize the some of the folks who wrote these are up to their eyeballs in breaking every one of them) 

 

ROME, Ga. - Federal agents and police raided a northwest Georgia dentist office, saying they were responding to complaints about the improper use of restraints and concerns about dental procedures on children.

Rome police said in a statement that they executed a search warrant at the children's dentistry practice in Rome on Thursday to obtain records in an ongoing criminal investigation. Police say the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was also involved in the search.

A search warrant affidavit in Floyd County Superior Court says the probe began in May 2011, when the mother of a 3-year-old girl told police her daughter was tied down and injured during an appointment.

The Rome News-Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/X8kjMd) that the case involves several other families and children.

Police said no charges have been filed.

Information from: Rome News-Tribune, http://www.romenews-tribune.com

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Restraining children for dental treatment guidelines from the AAPD were drastically changed in 2006, to warn dental professionals it is dangerous and risky, to say the least. If you have been doing it other than by these guidelines, I hope you…  well never mind.

Aspen settles with former employee who was assaulted by her supervisor

By Tony Lystra / The Daily News

Columbia, Oregon

Aspen dental, former employee reach settlement on eve of trial

A Longview dental clinic has reached a settlement with a former employee who claimed that she had a mental breakdown after her supervisor assaulted her in the workplace.

The settlement, the terms of which were not disclosed, came on Monday, the day the case was scheduled for a civil jury trial in Cowlitz County Superior Court.

Crystal M. Manes, who had been working as a dental assistant in Aspen Dental’s Ocean Beach Highway branch, sued the company, saying her supervisor slapped her on the arm on April 21, 2010. Manes said she had come to work early that day and, at around 5 p.m., informed the supervisor, Jessica Scruggs, that she was leaving for the day. Scruggs became angry because there were still patients waiting to be seen and, with an open palm, struck Manes in the left arm declaring, “Well then, go home,” according to the suit.

Aspen Dental’s attorneys contended that Scruggs may have touched Manes only while gesturing and that the impact could not have been enough to cause an injury.

Manes, however, said a black and blue bruise appeared on her arm that evening. Manes also said that she was later prescribed Xanax for panic attacks, according to court documents. On May 8, 2010, Manes was admitted to St. John Medical Center after “the combination of panic attacks and a reaction to the Xanax medication caused (her) to have a mental breakdown,” according to Manes’ lawsuit.

Manes, who was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder resulting from the incident, sued Aspen Dental for medical expenses, lost wages and “general damages,” court documents said.

Manes’ attorney, David Nelson of Longview, declined to disclose the terms of the settlement. Aspen Dental’s attorney, Douglas Parker of the firm Littler Mendelson in Portland, did not return a phone call Wednesday.

Aspen Dental is a national chain of dental offices with 340 branches in 22 states, according to the company’s public relations department.

Dr. Sang Hyuk Park arrested for more sexual assaults day before court appearance.

Dentist pleads not guilty in sex abuse case

By VICTOR A. PATTON - vpatton@mercedsunstar.com

MERCED -- Merced dentist Sang Hyuk Park pleaded not guilty Wednesday in Merced County Superior Court to allegations that he sexually abused four women.

Dressed in a business suit, Park, 43, left the courtroom after the brief hearing, declining questions from reporters.

Merced police arrested Park, a Stockton resident, at his 3040 Park Ave. office Tuesday afternoon on five counts of sexual battery and one count of sexual penetration. He was released from jail after posting bail Tuesday evening.

Sang Hyuk Park

After Wednesday's hearing, Park's attorney Thomas Johnson said his client is a highly competent dentist who's innocent of the charges. Johnson questioned why his client was arrested on Tuesday, when he was already scheduled to appear in court today for his arraignment hearing.

"Dr. Park is not guilty of the charges and the investigation has been unusual, at best," he said. "Everything the office of the district attorney is doing seems like a thinly veiled attempt to get him into custody prior to the case being heard."

In response to Johnson's claim about the investigation, Chief Deputy District Attorney Rob Carroll said his office is very confident with the evidence police obtained.

Private Equity Firms warn Texas Dental Association to leave our “glory hole” alone

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Stressing the need for Texas dentists to work together to help public officials curb Medicaid fraud and expand access to affordable, high-quality dental care, dentists from throughout Texas recently sent a letter to the Texas Dental Association (TDA) concerning its recent testimony before the Texas House Public Health Committee.

The letter, signed by more than 60 Texas dentists from across the state, takes issue with the October 15th testimony of Dr. Richard Black before the committee. Dr. Black, on behalf of TDA, made what the dentists characterized as "troubling" and "unsubstantiated statements" pertaining to Texas dentists' 30-year history of utilizing non-clinical administrative support services that enable them to spend more time with patients and less time on administrative tasks.

"As one might expect," the letter says, "the committee members pressed Dr. Black for evidence that would substantiate his accusations. Rather than offer any, Dr. Black instead called for legislation that would impose additional regulations and restrict dentists' access to non-clinical administrative support services."

Like the medical support services provided to physicians for decades, the letter explains, dental support services include facility maintenance, supply procurement, scheduling support, as well as accounting and marketing services: "Contracting for such non-clinical administrative services enables dentists like us to devote more time to the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective dental care to patients and spend less time on administrative duties. In addition, contracting with DSOs enables us to benefit from their economies of scale and bring state-of-the-art technology to our patients and communities, thereby improving patient access, safety, outcomes and convenience."

Gentle Dental in more hot water

New Jersey State Comptroller Statement

November 20, 2012 -- The New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) is seeking recoveries from a dental practice that forged Medicaid reimbursement documents to conceal that its owner, who was no longer physically able to treat patients, had been replaced with a dentist who was debarred from the Medicaid program.

Anicia Cruz-Sledge assumed control of the Gentle Dental Group in East Orange in 2007 after her husband, the owner and primary dentist for the practice, suffered a medical condition that left him incapacitated and no longer able to treat patients, according to a notice filed by the OSC's office.

The investigation by OSC's Medicaid Fraud Division found that Gentle Dental submitted Medicaid reimbursement claims using the individual Medicaid provider number of her husband, Edward Sledge, DMD; signatures purporting to be from Dr. Sledge; and certification forms stating that Dr. Sledge had performed the medical services in question.

However, those services were actually provided by Carl McGloster, DDS, a dentist hired by Cruz-Sledge to treat patients at the dental practice although he was debarred from participating in the Medicaid program. According to the OSC, Cruz-Sledge admitted to OSC investigators that she signed her husband's name on the reimbursement claim forms submitted to the state even though her husband did not treat the patients. OSC investigators also determined that Cruz-Sledge continued to order new prescription pads under her husband's name long after he became incapacitated.

Read the entire story - http://www.drbicuspid.com/index.aspx?sec=sup&sub=pmt&pag=dis&itemId=312051

Former dentists, Gary Anusavice in a hole of no return? It’s looking like.

NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (AP) — North Kingstown officials say FBI agents will be joining local authorities in investigating a fire at a vacant million-dollar home whose last two owners were charged with fraud.

The 8,100-square-foot house on Potter Road was gutted in Friday's fire. The cause isn't clear yet. One firefighter who responded was taken to a hospital with chest pains, but was later discharged.

Fire Chief Fenwick Gardiner Jr. told The Providence Journal (http://bit.ly/Tm3mKw ) that FBI officials will be helping with the investigation. He didn't elaborate.

The home's last owner was a company controlled by Gary Anusavice, a former dentist now awaiting trial in an alleged $20 million Medicaid fraud scheme. The owner before Anusavice was Antonio Giordano, who was sentenced to one year in prison in 2007 for embezzling from nursing homes.

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Information from: The Providence Journal, http://www.providencejournal.com

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/FBI-to-join-probe-of-North-Kingstown-fire-4065070.php#ixzz2DMWPxnq7

Former employee of dentist arrested on bad checks charges speaks out

http://wtkr.com/2012/11/21/former-employee-of-dentist-arrested-on-bad-checks-charges-speaks-out/

Video included

Dentist Derrick Broadaway is facing four felony bad checks charges.

It is a direct result of Andrea Ross and another former employee taking action to press charges.

Ross came to NewsChannel 3 when thousands of dollars’ worth of paychecks from Broadaway’s dentistry kept bouncing after close to 17 years there.

The dentistry’s former business manager says she quit when Broadaway wouldn’t make good on the checks.

Friday, Broadaway turned himself in to Chesapeake police.

Authorities released him on bond.

NewsChannel 3 began investigating Broadaway for the bounced checks.

Our investigation into Broadaway’s bad checks led us to his checkered history with the Board of Dentistry. 

This summer, the board suspended him for 60 days and fined him 20,000 dollars. The decision was made partially because of questionable root canal work done on Rosemary Rogers.

We have also learned that Broadaway is facing three medical malpractice lawsuits.

Former patients claimed he left them “disfigured” and “permanently injured.”

Related:

Chesapeake dentist accused of giving out bad checks turns himself in to police

Former patient of suspended Chesapeake dentist speaks out

Employees take action against dentist accused of handing out bad checks

Chesapeake dentist faces millions in medical malpractice lawsuits

Chesapeake dentist blasted for bounced paychecks

More glaring evidence the California Dental Board is useless

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/11/20/cbs2-investigation-patients-claim-oc-dentist-didnt-give-them-care-they-paid-for/

NEWPORT BEACH (CBS2) – Several patients are accusing an Orange County dentist of charging them thousands of dollars for dental implants and subsequently never responding to their calls for help.

CBS2 investigative reporter David Goldstein discovered those patients never knew the California Dental Board filed a complaint last year against Dr. Thomas Teich. He was also found negligent this May in a medical malpractice lawsuit where the patient died.

That’s not all: Teich had served time in prison for mail fraud.

The dentist refused to comment on the allegations and the dental board’s complaint.

“Doctor, we’ve talked to a number of your patients who say they’ve been abandoned by you after paying you tens of thousands of dollars. How can you do that? How can you abandon these people?” Goldstein said.

Several patients who went to Teich’s Newport Beach office said the experience was nothing to smile about.