MINNEAPOLIS — A patient is suing her Eden Prairie dentist after she performed eight dental crowns, four root canals and 20 fillings in a single visit, according to a new malpractice lawsuit.
Kathleen Wilson of Minneapolis says she received negligent treatment by Dr. Kevin Molldrem, of Molldrem Family Dentistry, in July 2020, which caused significant injuries. Her civil suit, filed before the holiday weekend in Hennepin County District Court, accuses Molldrem of grossly exceeding the safe dose of anesthesia and falsifying medical records to show she did not give Wilson an unsafe dose.
It includes a scathing expert opinion from a Florida dentist who argues that so much dental work in a single visit is “impossible to achieve if … done right.”
Moldrem did not respond to messages seeking a response to the allegations. He was served a summons in person at his office at 800 Prairie Center Drive on Dec. 20. Wilson’s attorney, Nathaniel Weimer with the Minneapolis personal injury law firm Tewksbury & Kerfeld, also did not respond to requests for comment.
Molldrem’s website says he opened the Eden Prairie office in 2004 “to provide the kind of dental care to others that I would want for my own family.” A second location later opened in Lakeville.
Wilson was left with significant injuries that required further care from other providers to repair Molldrem’s negligent work, according to the lawsuit. In addition to the medical costs, Wilson said she suffered pain, embarrassment, disfigurement and distress. He is seeking at least $50,000 in damages.
Her legal team retained Dr. Avrum Goldstein, of Naples, Florida, to review her medical records from Molldrem and subsequent providers. Goldstein’s November 14 report found several breaches of the duty of care.
According to the report:
Wilson consulted Molldrem on July 7, 2020. She returned a week later for the procedures under intravenous sedation and local anesthesia.
The expert noted that Molldrem made the correct diagnosis, but said he provided poor quality treatment. Wilson had cavities “on almost every tooth in her mouth, which is pretty rare,” Goldstein wrote. Moldrem’s attempt to restore all of Wilson’s teeth in one visit didn’t help address her susceptibility to disease or the potential for tooth loss, she said.
“Katie needed a slow, thoughtful, careful and measured response to her illness. Trying to fill every hole in every tooth in her mouth in one visit is not only against what is indicated, it is not humanly possible to achieve in an efficient or constructive way,” Goldstein said, adding that it is “unthinkable” to dealt with. 28 teeth in 5 1/2 hours.
One challenge of a long appointment is maintaining adequate anesthesia, Goldstein said. The maximum dose is 490 mg. Molldrem administered 960 mg to Wilson.
Wilson’s records show Molldrem said he administered eight tubes of dental anesthetic known as carpules. But Goldstein found the first dose to be only eight carpels and administered 15 carpels throughout the visit.
Wilson went to a different dental office for an evaluation that showed recurrent cavities and other damage. For several months in 2022, she was hospitalized at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry “for repair and replacement of many of her restorations in an effort to stabilize her mouth.”
Goldstein said patients have a “finite capacity for dental treatment” and noted the challenges of dental anxiety. If all of Wilson’s teeth end up having to be removed and replaced with implants, Goldstein said “all the work that was done and all the expenses associated with it would be for nothing.”
“This not only affects the finances of her dental needs, but also affects the emotional trauma associated with extensive dental treatment.”
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