Woman sues dentist after 4 root canals, 8 dental crowns and 20 fillings in a single visit

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota woman has sued her dentist after receiving four root canals, eight dental crowns and 20 fillings in a single visit that she says led to her disfigurement.

Kathleen Wilson filed the lawsuit last week in Hennepin County District Court, accusing Dr. Kevin Molldrem of Molldrem Family Dentistry in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, of providing negligent treatment in July 2020 that caused significant injuries to Wilson, along with providing an unsafe dosage of anesthesia and falsifying medical records to cover it up, the Star Tribune reported.

Molldrem and his attorney, Nathaniel Weimer, did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press on Thursday.

According to the Star Tribune, Wilson’s legal team retained Dr. Avrum Goldstein, a dentist in Florida, to provide an expert opinion and review Wilson’s medical records from Molldrem and subsequent providers. Goldstein’s Nov. 14 report identified various duty-of-care breaches.

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Goldstein said in the report that Molldrem made the right diagnosis, but he provided poor-quality treatment.

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.

One challenge of a long appointment is maintaining adequate anesthesia, Goldstein said. The maximum dosage is 490 mg — but Molldrem administered 960 mg to Wilson.

Wilson’s records show that Molldrem said he administered eight tubes of dental anesthetic, known as carpules. But Goldstein found the first dose alone was eight carpules, and he administered 15 carpules throughout the visit.

Wilson went to a different dental office for an evaluation showing recurrent decay and other damage. For several months in 2022 she was treated at the University of Minnesota Dental School “for repair and replacement of many of her restorations in an attempt to stabilize her mouth,” Goldstein said.

If all of Wilson’s teeth end up having to be removed and replaced with implants, Goldstein said “all of the work that was done and all of the expense associated with it will have been for nothing.”

Beyond medical costs, Wilson said she suffered pain, embarrassment, disfigurement and distress. She is asking for at least $50,000 in damages.