Dentist sanctioned for 'competency' issues after patient loses jaw to cancer

A central Iowa dentist has been sanctioned for allegedly failing to detect cancer in a patient who subsequently had part of his lower jaw removed.

Dr. Chad Lensch of Ankeny Family Dental Center was charged by the Iowa Dental Board earlier this month with failing to maintain a reasonable standard of competency in the practice of dentistry.

The board alleged that at some unspecified time in the past, Lensch failed to recognize dark spots on a male patient's gums as a potential sign of cancer. That failure, the board said, delayed a mouth cancer diagnosis by six years and resulted in the removal of part of the patient's lower jaw and teeth. The patient continues to experience "significant issues," the board alleged.

Lensch and the board recently agreed to settle the case with an agreement that requires Lensch to complete a course on pathology by November 1, 2025. The scope and duration of the course are not specified in the board's order.

The board's action appears to be tied to Lensch's treatment of Justin Hess of Ankeny, IA, from 2014 to 2021. According to a lawsuit filed by Hess in December 2021, Hess appeared at the Ankeny Family Dental Center on two occasions in 2016 due to concerns about a "blackening, darker appearance on his lower left gum tissue."

During those visits, Lensch allegedly informed Hess the pigmentation was normal and of no concern. During eight subsequent appointments over the next four years, Lensch allegedly provided regular dental care for Hess without addressing the issue.

In January 2021, Hess complained to Lensch the pigmentation of his gums was spreading and Lensch referred him to an oral surgeon who recommended a biopsy. Hess was then diagnosed with malignant melanoma and was referred to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for treatment.

The lawsuit alleged that Lensch failed to use the degree of skill, care, and learning ordinarily possessed by other dentists in similar circumstances, in part by failing to consider that the cause of Hess' gum pigmentation could be cancer. Lensch denied any wrongdoing and stated in court filings that he "had no control over the underlying health problems or idiosyncrasies" of Hess.

Court records indicate the lawsuit led to settlement negotiations in late 2023, and in January 2024, the case was dismissed at the request of the attorneys representing Hess. Lensch did not immediately respond to calls Tuesday, February 26, from the Iowa Capital Dispatch.

This article was originally published in the Iowa Capital Dispatch and republished by DrBicuspid under the Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. The Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. The Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence.

Deputy Editor Clark Kauffman has worked during the past 30 years as both an investigative reporter and editorial writer at two of Iowa’s largest newspapers, the Des Moines Register and the Quad-City Times.

Page 1 of 77
Next Page