A Minnesota woman has filed a lawsuit against her dentist, claiming that she underwent an extensive dental procedure in a single visit, resulting in disfigurement. She received four root canals, eight dental crowns, and 20 fillings.
Kathleen Wilson recently filed a lawsuit in Hennepin County District Court against Dr. Kevin Molldrem of Molldrem Family Dentistry in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The lawsuit alleges that Dr. Molldrem’s treatment in July 2020 was negligent and resulted in significant injuries to Wilson. Additionally, it is claimed that Dr. Molldrem administered an unsafe dosage of anesthesia and attempted to conceal this by falsifying medical records, as reported by the Star Tribune.
Molldrem and his attorney, Nathaniel Weimer, failed to provide a comment in response to requests from The Associated Press on Thursday.
As per the Star Tribune, Wilson’s legal team has enlisted the services of Dr. Avrum Goldstein, a dentist based in Florida. Dr. Goldstein will be offering his expert opinion and conducting a thorough review of Wilson’s medical records from Molldrem and other healthcare providers. In Goldstein’s report from Nov. 14, several breaches of duty-of-care were identified.
According to the report, Goldstein acknowledged that Molldrem’s diagnosis was correct, but criticized the quality of the treatment provided.
Wilson had decay on “virtually every tooth in her mouth, something that is quite rare,” Goldstein wrote. Molldrem’s attempt to restore all Wilson’s teeth in one visit did nothing to address her susceptibility to disease or the potential of losing teeth, he said.
“Katie required a slow, thoughtful, careful and measured response to her disease. Trying to fill every hole in every tooth in her mouth in one visit is not only the antithesis of what was indicated, it is not humanely possible to achieve in an effective or constructive manner,” Goldstein said, adding that it is “inconceivable” to address 28 teeth in 5 1⁄2 hours.
According to Goldstein, one of the difficulties with a lengthy appointment is ensuring that anesthesia remains sufficient. Molldrem administered 960 mg to Wilson, which exceeds the maximum dosage of 490 mg.
According to Wilson’s records, Molldrem stated that he used eight tubes of dental anesthetic, commonly referred to as carpules. However, Goldstein discovered that the initial dose alone consisted of eight carpules, and he proceeded to administer a total of 15 carpules during the course of the visit.
Wilson decided to seek a second opinion at another dental office after experiencing recurrent decay and other damage. According to Goldstein, she received treatment at the University of Minnesota Dental School for several months in 2022 to repair and replace many of her restorations in order to stabilize her mouth.
If Wilson’s teeth need to be removed and replaced with implants, Goldstein expressed concern that all the previous work and expenses would be rendered futile.
In addition to the financial burden of medical expenses, Wilson expressed the emotional toll she endured, including physical pain, humiliation, changes in her appearance, and overall distress. She is requesting a minimum of $50,000 in damages.
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