[RGSpincich]

Talk about a slap on the wrist.


Dentist is cleared of 'revenge drilling'
By Graham Tibbetts
(Filed: 19/07/2003)


A dentist accused of drilling a patient's tooth in revenge for an unpaid bill was cleared of using intimidating behaviour at a disciplinary hearing yesterday.

Neville Kan was alleged to have ground away almost half of a woman's canine tooth when she came to him with a problem in a different tooth.

The patient, identified as Mrs B, had earlier told the General Dental Council's hearing that she returned to Kan's practice in Chiswick, west London, after a five-year absence when a filling fell out.

She claimed that Kan, who was owed £35 for previous treatment, drilled another tooth and told her: "Nothing lasts forever, I am not going to last forever. . . nothing in life is free. You owe me money."

The GDC's professional conduct committee acquitted him of making intimidating and inappropriate remarks but found him guilty of serious professional misconduct for failing to explain his treatment and costs in advance, failing to obtain consent for his proposals and failing to respond to the patient's subsequent complaints.

He was also found guilty of using an "outmoded procedure" by not having an assistant on hand and not wearing gloves.

Kersasp Fanibunda, the chairman of the council's professional conduct committee, said no further action would be taken as Kan had taken steps to remedy his errors.

18 July 2003: Dentist 'drilled healthy tooth to punish patient'
27 March 2003: Private dentistry 'not working well for consumers'

External links

General Dental Council

[winner3000]

That's it? I can't believe he got away with it. What he did is quite serious and could be called terrorism. A doctor is quite powerful as there is significant asymetry of information in the industry. There is a lot of room for doctors to perform unnecessary procedures and charge the person when the patient thinks that insurance will pay for the procedure. To violate that trust is quite scary.