US: Indian dentist tries to extract 20 teeth at one go, kills patient

New York: License of an Indian dentist was revoked in the US after he attempted to extract 20 teeth from the mouth of a 64-year-old woman in one sitting which led to her death.

The dentist, Doctor Rashmi Patel was performing the procedure on Judith Gan on February 17 when she gurgled and lost consciousness.

The procedure included placing implants in the woman's mouth after removing the teeth, according to the New York Daily News.

The paper quoted Patel's assistant as saying that he had requested him to stop the procedure before calling the emergency services.

"He wanted to complete the placement of implants as the assistant begged Patel to stop working, and finally ran out and called 911, but the patient had already flat-lined," the state Department of Public Health wrote in a report.

"The four count petition found, among an array of other misdeeds, that Patel deviated from standard of care in that he did not timely and properly respond to Gan's oxygen desaturation and/or respiratory distress and/or cardio-pulmonary distress," state records reported.

"Gan did not have to die to receive this dental treatment and it is because of Patel's negligence that she died," said a dentist who was asked to review the case for the Department of Health.

Patel's license, issued in 2003, was suspended on April 21 pending a June 18 hearing in front of the state dental commission. Patel runs two clinics in Enfield and Torrington.

"Patel has been ordered to stay away from his patients after one died and another spent six days in the hospital," state health officials said.

The horror of Gan's botched procedure came after a December incident, when a 55-year-old man "aspirated the throat pack" and was rushed to the hospital. The victim stopped breathing and spent six days in the hospital after suffering heart and lung damage.

Patel was also sued for malpractice by a former employee in 2009 after he performed "shoddy" dental work. Doreen Jasonis won nearly USD 500,000 from a jury in 2011, but the ruling was appealed and eventually ended with an out-of-court settlement.

The dentist's attorney says both clinics remain open and that Patel will fight the charges.