CNN
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A Minnesota woman filed a malpractice lawsuit alleging she stayed disfigured after her Eden Prairie dentist performed more than 30 procedures in a single appointment.
In a civil lawsuit filed last week against Dr. Kevin Molldrem and Molldrem Family Dentistry in Hennepin County District Court, Kathleen Wilson claimed she had to go to other dentists to correct Molldrem’s “negligent work” which caused her “significant injuries.” in the complaint.
Wilson claims Molldrem performed eight crowns, four root canals and 20 fillings in a single visit in July 2020.
According to the lawsuit, Molldrem also administered anesthesia to Wilson “far in excess of (the) recommended dose” and engaged in “falsification of medical records” regarding the amount of anesthetic administered.
CNN reached out to Molldrem, but has not heard back.
Wilson’s attorney, Nathaniel Weimer, said they held Dr. Avrum Goldstein, a dentist who serves on the faculty at a Florida university, as an expert witness to review Wilson’s records, according to an affidavit.
In a Nov. 14 report, Goldstein acknowledged that Molldrem’s diagnosis that “virtually every tooth” in Wilson’s mouth had decay was correct. Goldstein said Molledrem’s treatment of Wilson, however, was a mistake.
According to Goldstein, Wilson “required a slow, thoughtful, careful and measured response to her illness” and “trying to fill every hole in every tooth in her mouth in one visit” was “humanly possible to achieve.”
Goldstein noted in his report that the amount of anesthesia Molldrem used on Wilson was “far in excess of what would be considered safe.”
Goldstein said in his report that the maximum dose of anesthetic would have been 490 mg, but Molldrem gave Wilson 960 mg, citing Molldrem’s anesthesia records.
“There are finite amounts of anesthetic that can be administered over (a) 5 or 6 hours, and exceeding that amount puts the patient at risk for anesthetic overdose and potential harmful effects,” Goldstein noted. report.
CNN reached out to Goldstein, but has not yet heard back.
CNN reached out to the American Dental Association for comment on whether so many procedures should be performed in a single visit and what its standard recommendation is for these types of situations.
The ADA said its guidelines do not cover anesthesia dosing and referred CNN to the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) or the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology. CNN asked the groups about maximum doses. The ASA said it could not comment because the case involved a dental, rather than medical, anaesthetic.
Wilson, who claims she endured pain and embarrassment, is seeking more than $50,000 in damages.
According to court records, Moldrem was served with a subpoena on Dec. 20 at his office in Eden Prairie. The practice Website says Molldrem has been a dentist for 20 years.
CNN reached out to Weimer, who said he prefers “not to comment on active litigation.”
