A Minnesota woman who said she received four root canals, eight dental crowns and 20 fillings in one visit to a dentist has sued him for negligence, claiming he caused her disfigurement.
The patient, Kathleen Wilson, of Hennepin County, Minnesota, filed a lawsuit Dec. 21 in district court against Dr. Kevin Molldrem of Molldrem Family Dentistry in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, over the July 2020 visit that, according to her, caused her significant consequences. injuries, which were reported last week by The Star Tribune.
Ms. Wilson said in the complaint that she lost income because of dental work and endured “pain and suffering, embarrassment, emotional distress and disfigurement” as a result. The lawsuit does not specify what Ms. Wilson’s occupation is.
A lawyer for Ms. Wilson did not respond to a request for additional comment. Dr. Molldrem, who is representing himself in this case, according to the complaint, did not respond to a request for comment.
On its website, Dr. Molldrem said he opened his practice in Eden Prairie, Minn., “to provide others with the type of dental care that I would wish for my own family.”
According to the suit, Ms. Wilson received dental care from Dr. Molldrem from July 7 to July 21, 2020.
During one of these visits, Dr. Molldrem performed 8 crowns, four root canals and 20 restorations, “performing this work inappropriately,” according to the complaint.
Ms Wilson also claimed the dentist provided “amounts of anesthesia well in excess of the recommended dose” and falsified medical records regarding the amount of anesthetic she was given.
“This negligent work caused significant injury” to Ms. Wilson, the suit says, noting that the dentist had failed “to create a plan of care that would effectively combat decay and tooth dissolution.”
Ms. Wilson’s legal team hired Dr. Avrum Goldstein, a dentist in Naples, Fla., to review her dental work and provide an expert opinion in a nine-page affidavit filed in November.
His report identified various breaches of duty committed by Dr. Molldrem, such as attempting to restore all of his teeth in one visit. Almost all of Ms. Wilson’s teeth showed decay or erosion, according to her report.
“Restoring all of his teeth does nothing to resolve his susceptibility to his disease, the likelihood that it will persist, and the possibility that his teeth will be lost,” Dr. Goldstein wrote.
He added that it’s impossible to get this much dental work done “in one visit if each of these procedures is done correctly.”
After her last visit with Dr. Molldrem in July 2020, Ms. Wilson repeatedly visited another dental office, Lake Minnetonka Dental in Wayzata, Minnesota, for treatment for lost dental restorations and recurring cavities. , wrote Dr. Goldstein in his report.
Ms. Wilson also received treatment at the University of Minnesota Dental School from May to September 2022 to repair and replace restorations “in an effort to stabilize her mouth,” the report said.
Ms. Wilson is seeking more than $50,000 in damages, according to the lawsuit.
The American Dental Association declined to comment on the matter.
“The American Dental Association is aware of the recent news reports and is unable to comment because the Association does not have all the specific details and facts of the case,” said Corinne Racine, a spokeswoman for the organization, in a press release sent by email. “Dentists must use their best professional judgment in all treatment decisions. Patient safety and comfort are of paramount importance.
Amanda Holpuch reports contributed.
