Hawaii dentist closes office after patient lapses into coma

A Hawaii dentist has closed his office after a young patient lapsed into a coma while getting her third molars extracted in March.

Kristen Tavares, 23, went to the Hilo office of John Stover, DDS, MD, PhD, on March 17 to have all four of her third molars extracted. She went into cardiac arrest and was flown to Maui Medical Center, where her family says she remains in a coma.

Dr. Stover closed his Hilo office Friday, April 11, according to a westhawaiitoday.com story.

Tavares, the mother of a 4-year-old son and a 3-month-old baby, was healthy and had no medical problems, her family said.

Dr. Stover was not available for comment.

The Hawaii Dental Association emailed this comment to DrBicuspid.com:

"It's a shame this person was allowed to practice dentistry in Hawaii. Over our objections, the Legislature created a loophole in 2005 that allowed several dentists to come to Hawaii and set up a practice, without going through a rigorous exam. Stover was one of those dentists. Our association encourages elected officials and regulatory agencies to protect the public's health by ensuring only highly qualified dentists are allowed to practice in Hawaii."

Dr. Stover's Cosmetic Centers of Hawaii has three offices on the Big Island. According to his website, he is certified by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, and the National Dental Board of Anesthesiology.

Hawaii's Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs lists a dozen pending complaints against Dr. Stover (five dental, seven medical) that were filed since 2012.

Stover, 52, received his dental license in 1994 and his medical license in 1996, both from Louisiana, according to his website. He obtained his medical license from Hawaii in 2001 and his dental license from Hawaii in 2005.