Do the health care boards of your state have your (The Citizens) interest and protection at their utmost concern. I would say the State of Oklahoma Board of Dentistry is having a problem in discerning just what their function is. In January of 2009 I received root canal treatment from Todd A. Gentling DDS, from Broken Arrow, Ok. In November of 2010 I began experiencing pain in that same root canal. A few weeks later I had to have the crown of the same tooth re-attached. While having the crown re-attached, Dr. Gentling asked me if I had been having any problem with that tooth, of which I responded that, yes, ironically I had. Nothing more was said by Dr. Gentling, crown re-attached, and released to go.
A few days later, the pain returned to the tooth in question. When I called to make an appointment, I was informed by the receptionist, that I would need to seek treatment from an Endodontist, as I have a broken file in one of the canals of the tooth in question, and that Dr. Gentling was not qualified to make such repairs. That is how I learned why I was having a problem with that tooth.
I requested my records and on the third to the last line, there it was in black and white, "small piece of handfile broke in distal canal"
Therefore Dr. Gentling knew he did that. He did not inform me of his negligence, or do the proper thing of sending me to someone qualified to rectify the problem, or pull the tooth, which were going to be the only solutions to his negligent actions.
He kept all proceeds for his services, knowing that he had been negligent in his actions. Dr. Gentling had the opportunity to do the "right thing", and his decision, and his alone was to ignore the best interest of the patient, and apparently the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry feels the same way. In January 2011, I filed a complaint to the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry. Their response was "It is the decision of this Board that clear and convincing evidence of a violation of the State Dental Act or rules of the Board does not exist", and "Issues involving quality of care are not within the Boards jurisdiction".
Board Members! In your "thorough" investigation, what part of broken file in distal canal, and did not inform the patient of such actions did you not read. Does this mean the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry, clearly and convincingly finds it appropriate for one of their licensed Dentists to knowingly perform negligent dental care, as proved per the Dr's treatment notes and ignore it. And further more they (the Board) are not concerned with the "quality" of care that their licensed Dentists perform to one of the citizens of the State of Oklahoma. Just what is the function of the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry, if not to protect the citizens of the state from receiving negligent dental care, from dentists who knowingly perform such services, and choose to ignore it.
Maybe our new female Governor, Governor Mary Fallon, who appoints Board members, should be made aware that this is the decisions that the current Board Members make. |
