Dentist Sued for Malpractice

In a rather shocking case of medical negligence, a Florida dentist is being sued for malpractice after he dropped not one, but two dental instruments down an elderly patient’s throat.  It is alleged that these egregious errors ultimately contributed to the man’s death.
90 year old Charles Gaal was treated by Dr. Wesley Meyers in October 2006 to receive implants meant to secure his dentures.  During the procedure, the dentist dropped a medical screwdriver down the man’s throat.  Gaal was then forced to undergo a colonoscopy to remove the foreign object from his large intestine.
In May 2007 Gaal again consulted with Dr. Meyers for the same procedure.  Shockingly, this time a torque wrench was accidently dropped down the patient’s throat.
Following the second incident, Gaal underwent surgery in an attempt to remove the tool, which by that time had already aspirated into his left lung.  After nearly two months in the hospital following the surgery, Gaal died of complications.
Gaal’s daughter, Anne Greer, is suing Dr. Meyers for his egregious acts of medical negligence.  Additionally, the Florida Department of Health has filed a complaint against the dentist, citing him for failing to provide his patient with the appropriate standard of care, failure to report the incident and negligent recordkeeping and fining him $17,000.  He is currently not allowed to perform implants pending further training, but he continues to practice general dentistry.
Dental malpractice may not be as common as other forms of medical malpractice; however, as evidenced in this story, the results can be just as dire.  The most frequently reported types of dental malpractice typically involve:

• Surgical errors
• Failure to diagnose disease (such as oral cancer)
• Use of defective oral devices
• Use of faulty dental equipment
• Failure to properly consider a patient’s medical history prior to performing a procedure
• Complications from anesthesia
• Tooth extraction errors

If you have been harmed as a result of a negligent dental professional, call or visit with a medical attorney to find out what your legal rights may be.