A Georgia woman has won a $2.8 million malpractice verdict against the Coast Dental chain for work performed by one of its dentists who improperly fitted crowns and proposed unnecessary treatment.
Haley Buice began treatment by James Cauley, DMD, in February 2008 at Coast Dental of Georgia's Acworth office, according to a dailyreportonline.com story. As a result of the poor treatment, Buice's gums bled, some of her teeth fell out, and she had difficulty eating, according to her lawsuit filed in DeKalb County State Court.
In Buice's complaint, she alleged that Dr. Cauley recommended implanting veneers but his work, including more than a dozen improperly fitting crowns, was below the minimum standard of care. Buice paid more than $20,000, much of which was never documented, but Dr. Cauley left in the middle of her treatment and Coast Dental did not finish the work, according to the story.
Buice subsequently went to another dentist who extracted her bottom molars and replaced the crowns.
Dr. Cauley resigned from Coast Dental in May 2009, and his dental license lapsed in December 2009, according to the Georgia Board of Dentistry.
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