A judge ordered a dentist in Missouri to pay approximately $9.5 million to two dozen former patients who sued him and his practice, claiming the dental treatment he provided left them permanently damaged and disfigured, according to multiple news stories.
Jackson County Judge Cory L. Atkins awarded the settlement -- $473,445 to each patient -- after Dr. Brian Jenkins, who operated the now-closed Wright Dentures and Implants in Independence, MO, failed to respond to the medical malpractice lawsuit.
The dentist and his dental practice, Brian H. Jenkins DDS, LLC, which did business as Wright Dentures and Implants in Independence, were sued in Jackson County Circuit Court by 20 former patients who claimed Jenkins allegedly performed extractions and implant placements that caused permanent damage and disfigurement, according to the stories.
After the practice abruptly closed in the spring of 2024, multiple patients who had already paid thousands of dollars for treatment were left with unfinished dental work. In November 2024, the Missouri Dental Board removed Jenkins’ dental license after it found the dentist violated a 2022 agreed-upon disciplinary order that put him on three years of probation following complaints about substandard patient dental treatment, according to the stories.
In the settlement, the judge determined that patients visited Jenkins’ practice several times to address complaints of pain and ill-fitting prosthetics, but the dentists failed to treat them appropriately. Additionally, it was determined that Jenkins performed procedures that were beyond his qualifications, didn’t obtain consent for the scope and risks of the dental treatments, and failed to properly evaluate bone structure before placing implants.
Furthermore, the judge determined that Jenkins’ former patients experienced past and current physical pain, permanent disfigurement, and disability caused by bone loss, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment, including the ability to speak comfortably, due to his reported substandard dental care.
