A Minnesota lady has sued her dentist for disfigurement after undergoing four root canals, eight dental crowns, and 20 fillings in a single appointment.
Kathleen Wilson filed the lawsuit in Hennepin County District Court last week, accusing Dr. Kevin Molldrem of Molldrem Family Dentistry in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, of providing negligent treatment in July 2020 that resulted in significant injuries to Wilson, as well as providing an unsafe dosage of anesthesia and falsifying medical records to cover it up, according to the Star Tribune.
Molldrem and his attorney, Nathaniel Weimer, did not immediately respond to The Associated Press’s request for comment on Thursday.
Wilson’s legal team hired Dr. Avrum Goldstein, a dentist in Florida, to provide an expert opinion and analyze Wilson’s medical records from Molldrem and following doctors, according to the Star Tribune. Goldstein’s Nov. 14 report highlighted several breaches of duty of care. According to Goldstein’s assessment, Molldrem made the correct diagnosis, but he delivered poor-quality care.
Wilson had deterioration on “virtually every tooth in her mouth, which is quite unusual,” according to Goldstein. Molldrem’s attempt to repair all of Wilson’s teeth in one visit, he claims, did nothing to address her susceptibility to disease or the possibility of tooth loss.
“Katie’s disease demanded a slow, thoughtful, careful, and measured response.” Trying to fill every hole in every tooth in her mouth in one visit is not only the polar opposite of what was advised, but it is also not humanely possible to achieve in an effective or constructive manner,” Goldstein said, adding that addressing 28 teeth in 5 12 hours is “inconceivable.”
One issue of a long appointment, according to Goldstein, is maintaining an appropriate anesthetic. The maximum dose is 490 mg, but Molldrem gave Wilson 960 mg.
According to Wilson’s records, Molldrem stated that he injected eight carpules of tooth anesthesia. However, Goldstein discovered that the initial dose was eight carpules, and he administered 15 carpules throughout the stay.
Wilson went to a different dentist for an evaluation, which revealed recurring decay and other problems. She was treated at the University of Minnesota Dental School for several months in 2022 “for repair and replacement of many of her restorations in an attempt to stabilize her mouth,” according to Goldstein.
If all of Wilson’s teeth must be extracted and replaced with implants, Goldstein claims that “all of the work that was done and all of the expense associated with it will have been for nothing.”
Wilson said she endured agony, embarrassment, deformity, and distress in addition to medical bills. She is requesting at least $50,000 in damages.
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