Woman sues dentist over visit she says included 4 root canals, 8 crowns, 20 fillings

By Sarah Dewberry, CNN

(CNN) — A Minnesota woman has filed a malpractice lawsuit claiming she was left disfigured after her Eden Prairie dentist performed more than 30 procedures during a single appointment.

In a civil lawsuit filed last week against Dr. Kevin Molldrem and Molldrem Family Dentistry in Hennepin County District Court, Kathleen Wilson claimed she had to go to other dentists to fix Molldrem’s “negligent work,” which has caused her “significant injuries,” according to the complaint.

Wilson alleges that Molldrem performed eight crowns, four root canals and 20 fillings in a single visit in July 2020.

According to the lawsuit, Molldrem also provided Wilson with anesthesia “well in excess of (the) recommended dosage” and engaged in “falsifying medical records” regarding the amount of anesthetic administered.

CNN has reached out to Molldrem but has not heard back.

Wilson’s attorney, Nathaniel Weimer, said they retained Dr. Avrum Goldstein, a dentist who serves on the faculty at a Florida university, as an expert witness to review Wilson’s records, according to an affidavit.

In a report dated November 14, Goldstein acknowledged Molldrem’s diagnosis that “virtually every tooth” inside Wilson’s mouth had decay was correct. Goldstein said Molledrem’s treatment for Wilson, however, was wrong.

According to Goldstein, Wilson “required a slow, thoughtful, careful and measured response to her disease” and “trying to fill every hole in every tooth in her mouth in one visit” was “not humanely possible to achieve.”

Goldstein noted in his report the amount of anesthesia Molldrem used on Wilson was “grossly exceeding what would be considered safe.”

Goldstein said in his report the maximum dosage of anesthetic would be 490 mg, but Molldrem gave Wilson 960 mg, citing Molldrem’s anesthesia records.

“There are finite amounts of anesthetic that can be administered over (a) 5- or 6-hour period, and exceeding that amount places the patient at risk for an overdose of anesthetic and potential(ly) harmful effects,” Goldstein noted in his report.

CNN reached out to Goldstein, but has yet to hear back.

CNN contacted the American Dental Association for comment on whether that many procedures should occur in a single visit and what its typical recommendation is for that type of situation.

The ADA said its guidelines do not cover anesthesia dosing, and it referred CNN to the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) or the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology. CNN asked the groups about maximum dosages. The ASA said it could not comment because the case involved a dental, rather than medical, anesthetic.

Wilson, who alleges she’s endured pain and embarrassment, is seeking in excess of $50,000 in damages.

According to court records, Molldrem was served a summons on December 20 at his office in Eden Prairie. The practice’s website says Molldrem has been a dentist for 20 years.

CNN contacted Weimer, who said he prefers “not to comment on active litigation.”

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