A dental patient in Florida is suing a dentist and a practice, claiming she swallowed a dislodged ultrasonic scaler during a routine cleaning that led to permanent injuries, according to a story published recently in the Florida Record.
Scarlett Sterling and Beldon Sterling, her husband, filed a lawsuit on April 4 in the Circuit Court of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County, Florida, accusing Dr. Pamela Brandao and Brilliant Smiles Family Dental in Delray Beach, FL, of negligence.
The couple is seeking at least $30,000 from Brandao and the practice to cover medical expenses, as well as money for pain and suffering and lost experience.
In July 2023, Scarlett Sterling went to Brilliant Smiles to get a routine dental cleaning from Brandao. During the cleaning, the removable cleaning tip on an ultrasonic scaler came off, and Mrs. Sterling swallowed it. Mrs. Sterling sought care from a nearby medical center, which revealed the ultrasonic tip was lodged in her small intestine. She underwent surgery to have the tip removed, according to the story.
In the suit, the Sterlings accuse Brandao of failing to meet professional standards by failing to ensure that the dental equipment was properly assembled and maintained before using it. Additionally, the couple accuses Brilliant Smiles of failing to train its staff and maintain appropriate procedures to ensure equipment safety, which directly contributed to Sterling’s ongoing gastrointestinal problems, including abdominal pain due to small intestine bacterial growth, according to the story.
Due to this alleged negligence, Sterling claims she has experienced permanent injuries requiring ongoing medical treatment and surgery while feeling pain and mental anguish that affect her quality of life.
