Advertisement

Dentist Charged With Homicide As Patient Dies

Dentist Charged With Homicide As Patient Dies

A dentist has been charged over the death of a patient who became unresponsive while having 20 teeth pulled and several implants installed.

Judith Gan, 64, died in February last year after the procedure at Rashmi Patel's practice in Enfield, Connecticut.

A Dental Commission report said Patel "ignored" signs that Ms Gan was in distress, including changes in the colour of her face, and warnings from his assistants over the patient's state.

State dental regulators concluded that Patel failed to adequately respond when Ms Gan's oxygen levels dropped dangerously low as she was consciously sedated in the middle of the tooth extraction and implant procedures.

At one point, one of Patel's assistants yelled that Ms Gan was "flat lining".

The report said the dentist then tried to revive Ms Gan while the assistant called 911. She was rushed to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

The commission said Patel should not have attempted to perform so many procedures in one visit given Ms Gan's medical history, which included a heart attack six months before the visit, two strokes within the last two years and medication that could have affected her response to the sedation.

Patel has been charged with criminally negligent homicide and tampering with evidence after being arrested by Enfield police this week. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Patel's lawyers said he followed medical standard and noted that his licence, which was suspended, has not been revoked.