Dentist fined after pulling out wrong teeth
A dentist at the National Dental Centre (NDC) has been censured and fined $3,000 for extracting two teeth from the wrong patient.
The incident, which took place in May 2007, began when the clinic clerk attached the chit for extracting two teeth into the wrong patient's file, leading to the wrong patient being called into the treatment room.
The attending dentist, Dr Debbie Hong Pooi Mun, then four years into the job, then failed to verify the patient's identity with the extraction referral slip, reported The Straits Times.
According to the Singapore Dental Council, the incident caused the patient's upper-left first premolar and the lower-left second premolar to be removed.
In a statement by the NDC, the patient -- a 23-year-old man -- was notified within an hour of the mistake.
An immediate apology was issued to the patient, who was also given free consultation with an endodontist, an orthodontist and an oral surgeon.
After failed attempts at re-implanting the extracted teeth, the NDC said that the patient was notified of a new treatment plan, which was fully paid for by the NDC and completed as of January this year.
NDC staff were in constant contact with the patient throughout the whole recovery process to offer updates and redress for the mistake.
An NDC spokesman said that "an unfortunate error happened" and it takes "full responsibility" for it and added, "We deeply regret the distress is caused the patient and his family."
Avoidable mistake
The patient filed a complaint against Dr Hong to the Singapore Dental Council.
A disciplinary inquiry was held in January against Dr Hong and on Monday, she was fined and censured after the Disciplinary Committee found the error could have been avoided if "Dr Hong had been more diligent in her duty."
The incidence of wrong extractions at NDC stands at a very low 0.01 per cent, and this is the first time such a case has been heard by SDC's Disciplinary Committee.
To reduce the risk of such incidents happening, there is now a more stringent governance framework in place at the NDC.
Instead of using call numbers to match patients to treatment notes, staff at every service point now check patients' identities.
In addition, the doctor and assistant also reconfirm the type of procedure done and check for the right teeth involved, said the NDC spokesman.
