Las Vegas: A lawsuit was recently filed against a Las Vegas dentist who set a 5-year-old girl’s mouth on fire while she underwent a routine dental procedure.
The incident took place about a year ago, the Las Vegas girl’s parents took the child to ‘Just For Kids Dentistry & Orthodontics’ to have multiple crowns placed on her teeth, source added.
When the dentist, Deep Karan Dhillon, used a tool known as a diamond bur to smooth the girl’s teeth while she was under anesthetics, it emitted a spark that “caused the throat pack in the mouth to ignite and produce a fire” that lasted one or two seconds, according to the lawsuit filed.
Dhillon, who is named in the suit as the owner of ‘Just For Kids’, said that he was not aware of the lawsuit and declined to comment.
The girl was rushed to University Medical Center, where she was hospitalized for four days with burns to her palate and lower lip, according to the lawsuit.
The complaint alleged that the girl suffered burns to her epiglottis, throat, tongue, mouth, lips “and other surrounding areas,” according to the complaint. Some of the injuries “may be permanent and disabling,” it said.
She returned to the hospital about a week later for nine days after continued suffering from the burn and hearing problems, the lawsuit alleges.
“It is my opinion that ‘Just 4 Kids’ breached the standard of care by failing to adequately protect the airway, and committing a series of acts which set up a truly ‘incendiary’ situation,” Donald Testa, a California oral and maxillofacial surgeon, wrote in an affidavit filed along with the suit.
The suit, which seek more than $15,000 in damages, also alleged that Dhillon “fell below the minimally acceptable standard of dental care,” which resulted in “disabilities, disfigurement, pain and suffering, future surgical procedures, and loss of enjoyment of life.”
Dhillon had no record of disciplinary action against him, according to Nevada State Board of Dental Examiners records.
-article published in Review-Journal
Dr Muattar Hanif
The author is Editor at Dental News Pakistan and can be reached at newsdesk@medicalnewsgroup.com.pk
