Conn. dentist's license suspended after patient's death

A Connecticut dentist whose patient died after having 20 teeth extracted had his license suspended by the Connecticut State Dental Commission.

The commission suspended the license of Enfield dentist Rashmi Patel, DDS, after finding that he didn't properly care for two patients, including the woman who died in February during extensive extraction surgery, according to an Associated Press story. Dr. Patel previously had his license temporarily suspended in April, pending the commission's final decision.

His license will be suspended until his practice undergoes a review by the American Association of Dental Board. Dr. Patel also will be permanently banned from providing conscious sedation and will be on a five-year probation following the end of his license suspension.

Dr. Patel improperly cared for 64-year-old Judith Gan in February, when he was to extract 20 teeth and perform six implants, the commission found. It ruled that Dr. Patel failed to properly respond to Gan's decreasing oxygen levels after her teeth extractions, her respiratory distress, and her cardiopulmonary distress, according to the story. She later died at a hospital.

The commission also found that Dr. Patel should not have attempted to perform so many procedures on Gan in one office visit, given her medical history and the medications she was taking.

In the second case, the commission found that Dr. Patel violated care standards in December 2013 when another patient under conscious sedation inhaled his throat pack. The patient was rushed to a hospital but recovered.

Dr. Patel improperly delegated sedation to assistants not trained for such procedures on several occasions, the commission also concluded.