Colo. dentist who reused needles sued by partner

A Colorado dentist who was found to have repeatedly reused needles and syringes is now being sued by his dental partner, according to a story by Courthouse News Service.

Neil Dobro, DMD, sued Stephen M. Stein, DDS, in Denver County Court alleging that Dr. Stein did not reveal his past problems to him. Those problems also include getting high prior to performing surgeries before they decided to form the New Image Dental Implant Center together, according to the story.

Eventually Dr. Dobro uncovered these and many other allegations against his partner; he also discovered that the Colorado Board of Dental Examiners had recently voted to summarily suspend Dr. Stein's license to practice dentistry.

"Among other things, Mr. Stein had been stealing medications from patients and Dr. Dobro realized that Mr. Stein would eventually face criminal charges," according to court documents. "With this inevitable and damaging public disclosure on the horizon, Dr. Dobro proposed a means by which Mr. Stein could smoothly exit the practice of dentistry -- Dr. Dobro would buy all of Mr. Stein's dental practice assets (equipment, supplies, etc.), together with Mr. Stein's putative membership interest in New Image."

The asset purchase agreement was prepared in November 2011, according to Dr. Dobro, but the drug problems meant that Dr. Steins' behavior "did not follow a rational course" and was "detached from reality," reported Courthouse News.

Dr. Dobro seeks punitive damages for fraud, fraud in the inducement, negligent misrepresentation, intentional misrepresentation, breach of contract, and breach of fiduciary duty, the story concluded.