A dentist in Connecticut who was performing implant surgery on an 81-year-old woman when she died signed a consent order, agreeing to pay a $10,000 fine to resolve the case, according to a story published on October 24 in the Connecticut Post.
The consent order resolved the four-year investigation by the Connecticut State Dental Commission into Dr. Chukym Alexis-Johnson following the December 2021 death of Maureen Scott at Swan Lake Dental, which has since closed. Scott was having four teeth pulled and implants placed when she became unresponsive and died.
In the consent order signed by Alexis-Johnson and the state, the dentist failed to meet the standard of care during the procedure in multiple ways, the dental commission found. Alexis-Johnson reportedly failed to properly review Scott’s medical history, didn’t recognize the patient’s compromised medical condition and the potential effects of the sedative drugs she received, and she failed to properly monitor Scott's vital signs, according to the story.
Although Alexis-Johnson did not admit wrongdoing, she agreed to pay a fine and serve three years of probation during which she must work in a setting that physically includes other licensed dentists present. Also, Alexis-Johnson agreed to have her license permanently restricted from placing dental implants and from administering any type of sedation, according to the story.
Additionally, a lawsuit filed by Scott’s family was settled out of court. In the suit, the family claimed that Scott was rushed to a nearby hospital after Alexis-Johnnson got no response after removing an oral retractor from her mouth. The dentist reportedly couldn’t feel Scott’s pulse and called emergency personnel, who arrived four minutes later.
Alexis-Johnson allegedly told emergency personnel that a device measuring her pulse fell off Scott, and dental team members present thought she had been sleeping. Alexis-Johnson allegedly said she was unaware of when the device fell off, according to the story.
