Warnings about new dentists practicing unethical dentistry are becoming more common

[doc toothache]

Sure enough, I tried to get my records and the clinic doesn't exist anymore. The reason why? The guy operating it is currently serving 8 years in prison: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/...ty-health-care-fraud-and-tax-evasion-offenses
http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/troubleshooters/LWRD-165223396.html
"Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley obtained a judgment against Anusavaice in 2010, claiming Anusavice and others lured patients in with deceptive marketing, pressured patients to agree to costly dental treatments, then failed to complete the procedures or provided shoddy treatment."

Now that the case is closed, let's look at the postmortem. What your "shoddy/unscrupulous/money hungry" dentist likely did was enameloplasty on the occlusal groove(s)/ pit(s)/fissure(s) of the tooth in question. He likely placed a sealant or a composite resin, but in the absence of mechanical retention, the material flaked off.

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[tussiN1]

look at u doc toothache with the rebuttal

 

[schmoob]

Now that the case is closed, let's look at the postmortem. What your "shoddy/unscrupulous/money hungry" dentist likely did was enameloplasty on the occlusal groove(s)/ pit(s)/fissure(s) of the tooth in question. He likely placed a sealant or a composite resin, but in the absence of mechanical retention, the material flaked off.

Or the dentist did nothing at all.

 

[doc toothache]

Or the dentist did nothing at all.

Err... yes...., but then....

I had a dentist charge me for an unnecessary procedure once. Was a young dentist at one of those chains that caters to uninsured patients, and was too uninformed to know any better- he supposedly found a "pre-cavity" on one of my teeth that he drilled small hole in and filled. Had my regular (and very good dentist) look at the tooth later and it turned out no work was done on that tooth at all- no idea what the guy actually did but there is zero evidence that he did anything, either on x-ray or direct observation. Given that it wasn't noticed until years later, I never followed up on it, as it's far too much work for absolutely no personal benefit.

 

[schmoob]

Err... yes...., but then....

But wouldn't that be visible in the films at least? He's saying there wasn't even evidence of a hole (based on my interpretation)

 

[Mad Jack]

Err... yes...., but then....

That's what he claimed to have done there's no evidence of a hole that was ever filled was my whole point- supposedly he drilled on the anterior lateral aspect of 22, but there is zero evidence of work there on radiological or physical exam. I mean, you know teeth better than I do, but the guy probably isn't doing 8 years in prison for providing work so good you can't even tell it's there.

 

[dPseh]

But wouldn't that be visible in the films at least? He's saying there wasn't even evidence of a hole (based on my interpretation)

You wouldn't be able to see work done on the occlusal surface from a radiograph if it was pretty shallow. Fissure sealants and flowable composite don't have great radiopacity anyway. And if it flaked off like doctoothache had mentioned, you definitely wouldn't have seen anything at all.
But if work WAS done, I'm sure Mad Jack's dentist would have seen something intraorally upon Mad Jack's specific request. I don't know if a procedure was actually done, but if it was done on the labial of 22 as Mad Jack says... I'm sure it would be noticeable. Maybe his dentist just ran the drill and prodded Mad Jack with an instrument to make it seem like he did something. Haha. But of all teeth in the mouth, and all the obscure surfaces, why pick an anterior tooth?

Sorry for jumping in. Was totally lurking the past couple days. 😛

 

[doc toothache]

That's what he claimed to have done there's no evidence of a hole that was ever filled was my whole point- supposedly he drilled on the anterior lateral aspect of 22, but there is zero evidence of work there on radiological or physical exam. I mean, you know teeth better than I do, but the guy probably isn't doing 8 years in prison for providing work so good you can't even tell it's there.

You wouldn't be able to see work done on the occlusal surface from a radiograph if it was pretty shallow. Fissure sealants and flowable composite don't have great radiopacity anyway. And if it flaked off like doctoothache had mentioned, you definitely wouldn't have seen anything at all.
But if work WAS done, I'm sure Mad Jack's dentist would have seen something intraorally upon Mad Jack's specific request. I don't know if a procedure was actually done, but if it was done on the labial of 22 as Mad Jack says... I'm sure it would be noticeable. Maybe his dentist just ran the drill and prodded Mad Jack with an instrument to make it seem like he did something. Haha. But of all teeth in the mouth, and all the obscure surfaces, why pick an anterior tooth?😛

Superficial lesions are commonly seen on the facial of lower canines. These can be removed with a finishing burr leaving little or no evidence of having been performed.

 

[dPseh]

Superficial lesions are commonly seen on the facial of lower canines. These can be removed with a finishing burr leaving little or no evidence of having been performed.

What kind of material would it have been filled with, that would leave no visible trace?
Not arguing, genuinely curious.

 

[doc toothache]

What kind of material would it have been filled with, that would leave no visible trace?
Not arguing, genuinely curious.

Think of it as smoothing a surface with fine sandpaper. There is nothing to fill.

 

[dPseh]

Think of it as smoothing a surface with fine sandpaper. There is nothing to fill.

That's what I figured. Just going off of what Mad Jack said about something being filled.

 

[ncide]

What kind of material would it have been filled with, that would leave no visible trace?
Not arguing, genuinely curious.

He said it earlier. It could have been a sealant or composite, and from the story, that's what I thought as well. You don't need to prep the surface with a bur, you just acid etch and place a sealant on an area that is likely to turn carious if left alone. The material has a lifespan and eventually can break off, leaving the original site exposed as if it never had any treatment.

 

[sumin5924]

Sure enough, I tried to get my records and the clinic doesn't exist anymore. The reason why? The guy operating it is currently serving 8 years in prison: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/...ty-health-care-fraud-and-tax-evasion-offenses

http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/troubleshooters/LWRD-165223396.html

"Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley obtained a judgment against Anusavaice in 2010, claiming Anusavice and others lured patients in with deceptive marketing, pressured patients to agree to costly dental treatments, then failed to complete the procedures or provided shoddy treatment."

This is his 2nd medicaid/medicare fraud conviction, he's involved in a $20million dollar scheme, and he only got 8 years?...

 

[Mad Jack]

This is his 2nd medicaid/medicare fraud conviction, he's involved in a $20million dollar scheme, and he only got 8 years?...

Crime actually pays pretty damn
well.

 

[sumin5924]

Crime actually pays pretty damn
well.

Time to break bad. 🙄

 

[dPseh]

He said it earlier. It could have been a sealant or composite, and from the story, that's what I thought as well. You don't need to prep the surface with a bur, you just acid etch and place a sealant on an area that is likely to turn carious if left alone. The material has a lifespan and eventually can break off, leaving the original site exposed as if it never had any treatment.

Sealants aren't normally used on the smooth surfaces of anterior teeth due to the high probability of it just flaking off (no bonding). Composite, I can believe. Although I'm thinking that the lesion was superficial enough that composite wasn't required. But I mean... this guy clearly isn't a star dentist, so I'm sure he could have done any of the above. Maybe he swiped the "pre-cavity" with a bur and placed a composite without any retentive features, other than the bonding agent.

 

[schmoob]

If he is all about money, he obviously didn't do anything. He probably didn't use composite, selant, any of it. All he (likely) did was touch the tooth with a bur so he can make the patient believe he did a procedure.
Why would he waste materials if he was stealing?

 

[urMDandDDS]

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/national/family-claims-woman-died-after-getting-teeth-pulle/nq4Y4/

The cause of death here was allegedly due to teeth extraction procedure. No matter how good we are as a clinician or businessman, the media isn't doing us any favors.

 

[schmoob]

I HIGHLY doubt it was because of the teeth.
If she was "low" on O2, why the hell would she turn around back to the dentists office? As if the hospital won't have any?
She was a train wreck to begin with.

 

[doc toothache]

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/national/family-claims-woman-died-after-getting-teeth-pulle/nq4Y4/
The cause of death here was allegedly due to teeth extraction procedure. No matter how good we are as a clinician or businessman, the media isn't doing us any favors.

That's like suggesting that the cause of death was basketball for those young athletes that die on the court.

 

[memory tcells]

Sure enough, I tried to get my records and the clinic doesn't exist anymore. The reason why? The guy operating it is currently serving 8 years in prison: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/...ty-health-care-fraud-and-tax-evasion-offenses

http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/troubleshooters/LWRD-165223396.html

"Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley obtained a judgment against Anusavaice in 2010, claiming Anusavice and others lured patients in with deceptive marketing, pressured patients to agree to costly dental treatments, then failed to complete the procedures or provided shoddy treatment."

Boom