A Minnesota woman has filed a lawsuit against her dentist for allegedly leaving her 'disfigured' after he performed too many operations during one visit.
Dental patient Kathleen Wilson, from Minneapolis, went to receive treatment from Dr. Kevin Molldrem at Molldrem Family Dentistry in July 2020, one week after she'd visited the dentist for a consultation.
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During her five-and-a-half hour visit, Wilson has claimed she received eight dental crowns and 20 fillings, as well as undergoing four root canals.
For reference, adults typically only have 32 teeth to work with in the first place.
In a newly-filed malpractice lawsuit cited by the Star Tribune, Wilson accused Molldrem of leaving her with significant injuries, and of grossly exceeding the safe dosage of anesthesia.
She also claimed the dentist falsified medical records to indicate the dosage he administered was not unsafe.
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Dr. Avrum Goldstein, an expert looking into the case, determined that Molldrem administered 960 mg of anesthesia to Wilson, while the maximum recommended dosage for a long appointment is 490 mg.
Wilson said she had to seek follow-up care from other providers to repair the work that Molldrem had done, all of which left her experiencing pain, embarrassment, disfigurement and distress, according to the lawsuit filed in Hennepin County District Court.
Goldstein said that, while Molldrem made the right diagnosis for Wilson's teeth, undergoing so many procedures in a single visit would be 'impossible to achieve if … done properly'.
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The expert said Wilson had decay on 'virtually every tooth in her mouth, something that is quite rare', but added that Molldrem's attempt to restore the teeth did nothing to address Wilson's susceptibility to disease or the potential of losing teeth.
"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," the expert wrote.
Molldrem has not spoken out publicly about the accusations at the time of writing (27 December), but he was served a summons in person at his office on 20 December.
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Wilson is asking for at least $50,000 in damages.
Goldstein noted that if all of Wilson's teeth end up having to be removed and replaced with implants, 'all of the work that was done and all of the expense associated with it will have been for nothing'.
On his website, Molldrem says he opened his Eden Prairie dental office 'to provide the type of dental care for others as I would want for my own family'.
UNILAD has contacted Molldrem Family Dentistry for comment.
Emily Brown