A man is suing, claiming that a New York City dentist was “under the influence of some mind-altering substance” when she inappropriately touched him during a procedure and placed a misaligned crown that left him with a crooked smile.
Makke Dakhlaoui, 32, filed a lawsuit on April 21 in the New York County Supreme Court against Dr. Carletta Demetree of ZenDentistry in New York, accusing her of being under the influence during his root canal and fondling, groping, and gyrating against him during a root canal, as well as incorrectly placing a crown that ruined his smile.
Also, ZenDentistry and its owner, Dr. Tandeep Malhotra, were named as defendants in the suit. Dakhlaoui claimed he told Malhotra about Demetree’s actions, but Malhotra refused to investigate his complaints, according to the lawsuit.
Dakhlaoui is seeking a trial and an undetermined amount of monetary damages.
“Defendants’ conduct was willful, wanton, and showed a reckless disregard for Plaintiff, which caused and continues to cause Plaintiff to suffer substantial economic and noneconomic damages and severe mental anguish and emotional distress,” according to the lawsuit.
In July 2023, Dakhlaoui went to ZenDentistry for what he believed was a severe tooth infection. At this visit, he was told he had six cavities and needed two root canals. Three days later, Malhotra performed the first root canal, according to the suit.
About a week later, Dakhlaoui returned to ZenDenistry for the second root canal, which was done by Demetree. As soon as she entered the exam room, Dakhlaoui claims Demetree began acting unprofessionally and erratically and appeared distracted. He alleged that Demetree may have been intoxicated or under the influence of a substance, according to the lawsuit.
From there, things got worse, Dakhlaoui claims. Demetree allegedly injected him with anesthesia too deeply, causing him “excruciating” pain that lasted for the duration of the six-hour appointment. During the procedure, Demetree allegedly dropped dental tools on the ground and on top of Dakhlaoui’s chest multiple times.
Demetree reportedly referred to him as “buddy” and “pal,” allegedly played with his beard and chest, and purportedly pressed her leg on Dakhlaoui’s body and rubbed on him in a “sexually suggestive manner,” according to the lawsuit.
Dakhlaoui claimed he could not object to her behavior due to the guard and sharp tools in his mouth. Furthermore, he claims a dental technician in the room appeared uncomfortable with Demetree’s alleged actions and reportedly apologized repeatedly when the dentist left the room, according to the lawsuit.
When it was time to place Dakhlaoui’s dental crown, Demetree reportedly placed it too high, leaving him in “extreme discomfort.” Demetree allegedly tried to shave down the crown at least five times but was unsuccessful.
Dakhlaoui claimed that the $6,000 procedure left him with worsening, severe pain and an ill-fitting crown that led him to develop a crooked smile.
Later, in an email, Dakhlaoui allegedly recounted to Malhotra the distressing behavior exhibited by Demetree and demanded an investigation and a refund. Malhotra allegedly reassured him that he would personally correct his crown, give him a refund, and look into Demetree’s behavior, according to the lawsuit.
In December 2023, Malhotra reportedly tapped on Dakhlaoui’s teeth during a follow-up appointment to determine which tooth was the source of the pain. However, the plaintiff claimed it was hard to tell which one was the problem because Malhotra did it so quickly. This reportedly led the dentist to tell Dakhlaoiu that he was lying.
After Dakhlaoui’s teeth underwent x-rays, Malhotra reportedly confirmed that his crown was too high and his gums were inflamed. Unfortunately, Dakhlaoui claimed that Malhotra still refused to provide a refund for the botched dental work, according to the lawsuit.
Then Malhotra allegedly began yelling at Dakhlaoui, accusing him of threatening him. Malhotra was reportedly so loud that the practice's staff came into the room.
Despite this outburst, Dahklaoui claims that Demetree's conduct was not investigated, and he was never refunded, according to the lawsuit.
